The Heir of Slytherin AU
by EM Vought
Summary: FinishedThe second year comes for Erin Lyancomp and her friends Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. What lays in store for them this year? Sequal to Scars of the Past, prequal to The Daughter of the House of Black.
1. Chapter 1

Part One 

Erin was the most excited she had ever been in her life, not counting when she had first gone to Hogwarts or when she had turned into the wolf. But this definitely counted as one of the most exciting times she had felt. She had only been back at the orphanage for three weeks and already she had been told by Mrs. Peabroom that the Weasley's wanted her to come for a visit and would allow her to stay until school started. It was the most wonderful thing in the world to hear! She thought that the Weasley's would forget all about her, even though Ron had written her a few times and Fred and George sent something _daily_. Hermione also wrote as often as she could, but strangely Harry had not written her nor had he responded to any of her letters. She was quite worried at this, as were Hermione and Ron, for they hadn't received any letters either. So she was excited and also very worried at the same time. It wasn't like Harry to forget his friends, they were terribly afraid that something had happened to him.

Erin was thinking about all this as she tried to sleep. For once she had gotten all her work done early so she was actually in bed by 10…but now she couldn't sleep. She thought about going to stay with the Weasley's and also she thought about the predicament Harry must be in…she was worried about him, she had harbored the crush on him for the last year. She often wondered if Harry might just feel the same about her. She didn't think she even had a hope of Harry liking her…uh, in that way. She knew Harry thought of her as one of his best friends and she considered him one of hers. The four of them had been almost inseparable when they left…she missed them so much and it had only been 3 weeks!

Tomorrow though the Weasley's would show up and they would take her to their home and she would spend the next almost month and a half there. Her and Ron would talk, she would have Fred and George doting upon her (ok, that wasn't so exciting), she would get to know Ginny better…it would be wonderful. She didn't know why Mrs. Peabroom had let them…she always said only family, but then again they might be related, after all she didn't know anything about her family…well not that much anyway. She knew about her mum and dad and knew they were purebloods…and she knew all of the families were related, so they must have been pretty closely related for old Peabroom to let them take her. She had to be up early, because Peabroom said they would be there sometime that morning…oh, she hoped it would be earlier than later, but they did have a drive ahead of them…all the way from…she thought a moment. Otter-Catch-Poles? Or something like that. It didn't matter; she just wanted to be with her friends, even Ron was very preferable to this place. She loved Ron, he was a great friend, after all, but at the moment she would take Draco Malfoy over the orphanage, and that was saying something.

Erin awoke the next morning to the sun shining. Peabroom, obviously, thought it best not to make her work that day. Erin was so excited as she got her stuff together and went down to take a shower. Some of the other girls eyed her warily, but they didn't say anything or come near her. They didn't even talk while she was in there and most of them left before she had finished. Erin was very careful to get completely clean, she didn't get to take a shower too often because she was always cleaning and when she wasn't she was just too tired. She doubted Mrs. Peabroom knew that Mrs. Weasley knew all about the orphanage and what Erin did and didn't do, so she had been under strict orders to be clean and presentable. She didn't mind these orders; after all, she liked to be clean.

After her shower she went back to her attic room and sat at her small desk with the cracked mirror. She brushed her long black hair and plaited it into two thick breads, which she wound up and pinned to the back of her head. She looked herself over in the mirror, there were circles under her eyes, but they weren't that bad and she wasn't as pale as she had been last year. All in all she looked presentable.

She stood and pulled on her dress, which was black and had fishnet arms below puffed sleeves. In a few minutes she was dressed and ready to go. The clock on her bedside table read 9 o'clock. Well, she would go down to the kitchens and get some breakfast from cook.

At 11:30 Erin was still sitting in the kitchens while the cook and maid gossiped and slid over some treats to her every now and again. The morning was almost over… they should be there soon though…Erin was very anxious about this. The gardener had been sent up for her trunk hours ago...he had done it as a favor to the maid (they were married). All the 'help' there liked Erin, they had seen her grow up and they didn't think a nicer, prettier girl existed anywhere, especially not a pureblood. At 11:45 Erin was getting even more anxious for them to get there.

At 11:50 the loud doorbell rang. Erin had been coming out of the bathroom at the time and Mrs. Peabroom hurried past her so Erin had to stepped back into the bathroom, the woman's huge presence taking up practically the entire hallway. Erin stepped out, when it was a reasonably safe thing to do, and hurried after the woman. Mrs. Peabroom got to the door and straightened her hair and voluminous dress before opening the door with an equally large smile on her face. Erin inched around her and craned her neck to see through the door. Erin's eyes practically bulged out. She hadn't expected this…all the Weasley's (minus Ron's two oldest brothers) were standing there. Mrs. Peabroom faltered a little, but kept her smile. "Come in, come in!" She said mock-excitedly. "Erin! Erin? Oh, there you are, dear. Take our guests into the parlor, I will just tell Cook that we have a few more to lunch."

She swept off, as fast as a fat woman could sweep at least. Erin smiled when the woman had gone and threw her arms around Ron. Ron didn't mind being hugged and embraced the girl right back, very happy to see her. When they let go Fred and George were quick to spot the opening. Before Erin knew it both Fred and George were hugging her and kissing her. Mrs. Weasley reprimanded them while Mr. Weasley (a tall redheaded balding man) pulled them back. Erin led them into the parlor and told them to sit down. "My," Mrs. Weasley said as she looked around the room. "You most certainly do a good job, dear."

"Thank you." Erin blushed. "I try." Erin sat down next to Ron and Ginny, much to Fred and George's disappointment.

"Well, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "You know everyone except Arthur, Arthur you know this is Xenia's daughter."

Mr. Weasley smiled. "Your mother was an inspiration to us all. We were very grieved when she was killed."

Erin nodded. "Thank you." She cleared my throat. "How are we related?"

They looked taken aback at the question. "How do you know that we are related?"

Ron, Fred and George were particularly interested in this question, for different reasons. "I thought we were, because Mrs. Peabroom would never allow anyone to visit the children or have them go anywhere unless it was with someone that was related."

Mr. Weasley nodded. "Yes, your father is my second cousin…and your mother is my…" He thought a moment. "Well, my brother was married to her sisters' husband's sister."

"And I am related to your father by marriage and your mother's grandmother and my grandmother were sisters." Mrs. Weasley said, she looked at Fred and George and rolled her eyes. "Far enough so you could date her if you wanted."

Fred and George high-fived each other and practically cheered, "We're in!"

"I never said yes." Erin reminded them.

Mrs. Peabroom came in at that moment and sat down in a high-backed chair. "I see you have all made yourselves comfortable. Wonderful. Lunch will be ready soon. Oh, Erin, that reminds me, you have sent and owl telling your guardian that you will not be here?"

"I sent one last night." Erin told her, Remus would be happy…if he wasn't indisposed.

"Wonderful. You are all packed?" She asked like a dutiful mother.

"Yes, ma'am. My trunk is in by the stairs." Erin said not looking up.

"Good girl." Mrs. Peabroom laughed. A truly horrific sound and then a bell was heard. "Ah, lunch. If you will all follow me to the dining room."

They all stood and followed. Ron leaned in close before they left the room. "That woman is truly scary."

"You have no idea." Erin said.

"Have you heard from Harry?"

"No. I'm getting very worried about him." She murmured.

"Us too, Fred, George and I decided that if he didn't write us before his birthday we would go and get him ourselves."

"Good idea." Erin said. "How are you planning on it?"

"We drove here in a car that my dad tinkered with. He loves Muggle stuff and likes to take them apart and bewitch them. He works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. If he raided our house he'd have to put himself under arrest." Ron snorted good-naturedly. "But the car can fly and we were going to take it to Surrey and get Harry."

"What do you think those people are doing to him?" Erin sighed.

"I don't know." Ron admitted. "But I'll tell you this, it can't be anything good. Poor Harry, Hermione is just as worried. I wrote and told her about what was happening and what we were planning on doing. She hasn't had time to get back yet, but she'll be supportive, don't you think?"

"It's Hermione, anything to help us, if we needed her nothing could stop her from getting to us. She's just as worried about Harry as we are, but we don't have proof that anything is going on…" Ron gave her a look. "Ron, we don't have any proof, but we know nonetheless. You can count me in."

Ron grinned. "Great. Fred and George will be happy about that."

"What will we be happy about?" Fred asked turning his head.

"Erin's gonna help us with the Harry problem." Ron told him.

"Good." George said smirking at them. "That means she can't tell us to get lost."

"Like I would." Erin rolled her eyes. She would have said more, but the ship finally came in, in other words Mrs. Peabroom had finally waddled her way to the dining room. And since she had been in front, well everyone took a while to get there. Erin just wanted lunch to end and for them to leave. She wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

Part Two 

It was nearly two hours later when Mrs. Peabroom finally released them. Erin felt she was getting out of jail at this point. The acrid perfume the woman wore was stifling and it wasn't just Erin that thought they were going to faint from lack of oxygen. Fred and George wouldn't go anywhere near her, even though Erin was sitting just inches away.

So when the time came Erin gratefully climbed into the car with the rest of them. The seats had been magically lengthened, you couldn't tell it from the outside though, and everyone fit comfortably with Erin's trunk safely stowed in the trunk. Percy sat next to the window on Erin's left with Ron next to him and Fred and George were on her other side with Fred next to the window. They had had a brief, but violent struggle outside the car to see who got in first, and it wasn't that George won, but that their father had gotten to Fred first and George, seeing the opening, had zoomed in.

The car ride was pleasant, Ron chatted most of the way home, Percy was reading, Fred and George were discussing something in low voices and Erin only caught half of what they were saying, not enough to know what they were talking about. Of course even if she had caught the entire conversation it was doubtful whether she would have understood anyway. And Ginny sat up front in between her parents talking about her first year at Hogwarts; she was very excited about it. Erin smiled as she kept an ear on what Ron was saying and her other one on what Ginny was rambling on about.

Erin glanced at Ron, boy, she definitely hoped Ginny wouldn't have the same type of first year as they had. The poor girl would be scarred for life.

It was about an hour drive to Ottery St. Catchpole, where the Weasley's lived, outside of town. They pulled down the long drive and Erin was astonished. She tried to look everywhere at once, at the house, which was about 5 stories high and held together by magic, the pig pen, the chickens, the trees…it was so much to take in. Erin scooted out of the car after Fred and George and just tried to take it all in. "Wow…" She breathed out totally in awe of everything around her.

Ginny pulled on the older girls' hand. "Come on!" She said. "You're sharing my room!"

"Yeah, we tried to convince Mum to let you share ours, but it didn't fly." Fred said sighing and turning his eyes heavenward. "She apparently doesn't trust us."

"I trust Erin just fine." Mrs. Weasley said. "It's you two I don't trust."

"Our own mother!" George said making motions towards her with his hands. "Can you believe that?"

"Knowing you two." Erin grinning. "Definitely."

"She also said no to me." Ron said. "But that was because Ginny was so dead set on it and excited."

Erin looked over at the twins. "Did you have anything to say about me sharing Ron's room?"

Fred laughed and George looking ready to fall on the ground laughing. "Him?" George asked, barely able to contain himself. "Ron? Are you joking? He's not competition! He's our brother!" With that he really did fall down laughing.

Ron raised an eyebrow at them and turned back to Erin. "You know I don't think they are too smart."

"Neither do I. Wait a minute…" Erin said realizing what he was saying. "What do you know?"

"Who me?" Ron asked. "Uh…nothing!"

"Ronald Weasley!" Erin yelled hitting him. "What do you know?" She chased him around the yard hitting him.

"It's not like I'm oblivious!" He said. "OW! Erin!"

"Tell me what you know!" She ordered him.

"Ok! Ok!" He yelled defending himself by putting his arms around his head. "I know you like Harry."

Erin stopped. "And how would you know that?" She asked with her arms crossed across her chest.

"Because…" Ron said a little uncertainly and watching out for more swats. "Oh, come on, Erin! I see the way you look at him! I mean Harry is pretty dense about girls in general. I'm not the only one that saw you face a mountain troll for him! Or that you were beside him when he faced You-Know-Who! You'd sure have to like him a whole lot to do that."

Erin swallowed and blushed a little. "Ron…"

"It's ok." He said patting her shoulder. "I won't tell him. He probably wouldn't know what I was talking about anyway. Your secret is safe with me."

"Erin, come on!" Ginny said taking the girls' hand again and pulling her toward the house. "This is going to be great! I've never had a sleep-over before!"

"Mum home-schooled us, she didn't trust public schools." Ron whispered.

"Oh." Erin nodded and let Ginny drag her inside through a very weird looking doorway. It was a window above that you pushed up and then a swinging door on the bottom. It was pretty cute, though. This led into a kitchen with a long wooden table in it and there were knickknacks and pictures everywhere. They passed by a clock with hands on it and on each hand was the face of one of the Weasley's. Around the outside were things like: Home, School, Traveling and where the twelve was on most clocks it said, Mortal Peril. "You've been there a couple of times." Erin said to Ron.

"Too true." The redheaded boy said as they went around what Erin saw was a fireplace into a living room full of mismatched chairs and balls of yarn. Erin saw a cat dart across the room at one point just as they were climbing the stairs. The stairs curved around the fireplace and Erin saw that they went up quite a ways. "My room is at the very top under the attic." Ron said.

"Mine is just on the second floor." Ginny piped up as she led them through a doorway off the stairs and into a pretty room with two twin beds, both covered with scrap quilts and plump pillows. There were two windows, Ginny had a corner bedroom and you could see out on the north and west walls. "This is your bed!" Ginny said. Erin's trunk was already at the foot of the bed. "I cleaned out the top two drawers for you since you're taller." Ginny rambled on. "And half the closet is yours!" She opened the door for Erin to see. Ginny was definitely very excited about this.

"Do you want me to leave you alone while you unpack?" Ron asked.

"You don't have to." Ginny said. "You two can tell me all about your first year at Hogwarts!"

Erin glanced at Ron. "It that wise?" She asked.

Ron shrugged. "She's heard it about two billion times, you can take it." He said as he stretched out on Erin's bed with his arms behind his head. "I'll jump in when I feel it's warranted."

The black haired girl shook her head and rolled her eyes good-naturedly at the boy as she opened her trunk. "Oooh!" Ginny squealed. "Where'd you get that?"

Erin saw she was pointing to the music box she had carefully packed the night before. "Oh, I got this from Harry for Christmas." Erin smiled and took it out. "It plays the Hogwarts Carol."

Ginny took it cautiously so as to not hurt it and opened it. The beautiful tones sounded all around them. It was magical…Erin laughed at the thought. Everything was magical in this world, no matter what it was. The music seemed to be all around them, encircling them and it made them want to dance at the fast parts and want to be still and just listen at the slow ones. Ron wasn't affected so much, but then again, he was a boy.

When the melody ended Ginny closed the box. "It's beautiful…"

"Yes." Erin said. "Harry said it reminds him of me."

"Are you and Harry together?" Ginny asked anxiously.

"Together?" Erin asked. "No, we're just really good friends."

"Ginny hasn't stopped talking about Harry." Ron groaned and put the pillow over his face. "So please don't start!" The last words were pretty muffled.

Erin shook her head and put the music box on the night table between the beds. Ginny was delighted at this.

After all the clothes had been put away Erin started on her meager possessions. Her scrap books where she kept her most treasured papers and photos. Ginny knew it was impolite to ask, but Erin could tell she was absolutely aquiver with anticipation. Erin laughed as she opened it and showed Ginny the pictures of the Hogwarts staff and told the girl about every one of them in as great of detail as she could. And then she showed Ginny the picture Ron had drawn and that Fred and George had enchanted of her fighting the troll, though it was greatly exaggerated. And the picture of her father and mother. Erin loved that picture so much. After that picture was her second favorite, the one with Harry, Ron and Hermione on the last day of school. Erin stood there in the middle with Hermione and Harry and Ron flanked them on either side. It had been a fabulous day, as they were alive. "So, you four are like inseparable, right?" Ginny asked.

"Right." Ron said from his position on Erin's bed. "Best friends to the end! No matter what."

"Let's hope we all remember that." Erin said playfully.

Ron laughed and rolled over on his side looking at the two girls. "We will. You can't go through what we went through without remembering just how close we became."

"Oy! Ron, Erin!" Fred popped his head into the door. "You two up for some Quidditch?"

"If you have a broom." Erin said. "Sure."

"You can use Bill's old one. It isn't too fast…and I think snails can outstrip it… but it's a broom."

Erin laughed. "Ok, let me change and we'll be right down."

Ron left and Erin pulled out jeans and a t-shirt. "Do you play Quidditch, Gin?"

Ginny blushed. "Well, uh, kinda."

Erin laughed knowing Ginny felt guilty about something. "Come on, I won't tell!"

"Ok." Ginny quickly agreed. "For awhile now I've been…borrowing their brooms and using them."

Erin nodded. "Don't worry, I am sure they don't know."

"They don't." Ginny said. "They don't notice me around too often."

"That's why you're always talking." Erin said catching on.

"Yeah." She blushed again. "Being youngest is bad enough, but when you're the only girl…well…"

"I understand." Erin said. "I'm an only child, but I grew up with about 40 other kids most of the time. They don't notice me, except to make my life a living hell." Erin had changed while they had been talking. "So, ready to see me go a quarter of a mile an hour?"

Ginny laughed. "Yeah, let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

Part Three

That evening Erin was lying on Ron's bed reading a comic while he sat on the floor talking about the plan that the three of them (Fred, George and Ron) had come up with to rescue Harry. "You see after Mum has gone to sleep we will take the car and go and get Harry. Fred and George have driven it tons of times. It's really quite easy."

"Except it's illegal." Erin noted.

"You care if it's illegal?" Ron asked.

"Me?" Erin said raising an eyebrow. "No, I was just stating a fact. I doubt Harry will care whether it is legal or not, himself, he will just be glad that you rescued him from that prison."

"You? Aren't you coming with us?"

"No." Erin said. "You will need someone here to divert suspicion and be the back-up man, er, woman. And that's me, I am smarter than you three put together, so it is obvious, that it should be me."

"Ok." Ron said not wanting to argue. There was no doubt she would win. "So, tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night."

"Dad works the late shift, good thing too, or else he'd want to come with us."

Erin laughed. "I just love your dad."

Erin was sitting in the living room having a long drawn out discussion with Percy, perfect thing to make sure he didn't get suspicious about anything else that was going on. So they were discussing the Ministry of Magic. Ron just sat back and watched Erin goad Percy into a frenzy arguing with him about whatever he was most passionate about. At the moment Erin was getting him heated up over something to with the Department and Magical Law Enforcement. He had to hand it to Erin; she was smart…and then genius took over. Erin turned to Ron's mum, who was listening with avid curiosity. "Molly, you must have something to say about this? I mean who is right? Should suspected Death Eaters have been sent to Azkaban without a trial? I am certain that those that were innocent of the crimes were sent because of this! No matter how guilty someone appears, no matter how much evidence seems to be mounting up in the contrary, everyone deserves a trial to find out if they innocent or not!"

"You don't understand!" Percy said. "Those were different times! Death Eaters were killing and committing such acts of heinous proportions! They didn't have time to try every suspected Death Eater that came in!"

"They should have made time! They gave those they felt should have a trial to have one! Those in the Ministry, hoping to clear their names and cover-up any wrong doing in that 'perfect establishment', just held trials for the mockery of it all, when they held them that is. I don't care what people say about Bartimaeus Crouch, I certainly never would have supported a man who gave Auror's the right to use the Curses, to fire first and ask questions later! There are better ways of handling evil!"

"Erin, you are too young to know what times were like back then!" Percy said before his mother could speak.

"I know what times were!" Erin said. "I may not have lived them, but I certainly can see what is in a person's mind, Percy. You know I see the thoughts and memories. And you were only 6 when Voldemort met his downfall! You don't remember those times! The only thing we can do is argue opinion because that is all it is, Percy."

"Well, we're off to bed." Fred said kissing his mum. "Love to stay up and listen to this, but…you know…"

George nodded and they high-tailed it upstairs. Molly shook her head. "Well, now I know what to do to get them to go to bed."

"Yeah." Percy laughed, he really liked Erin, they didn't always see eye to eye, but she could argue the wand out of Fudge's hand. "Just get Erin and I to start debating politics."

"I'll have to remember that at school." Erin said, although she knew perfectly well Fred and George just needed an excuse to go get ready.

The clock struck 10. "Well, I think we should all be in bed. It is late. Percy, Erin, you can discuss this tomorrow. Now off to bed, dears." She kissed them all goodnight and they climbed the stairs.

"Erin, how do you feel about Fudge being the Minister of Magic?" Percy asked.

"I think he does a job to fit the masses." Erin returned coolly. "That's what they wanted, that's what they got. They are kept as sheep and taught not to question his authority. I cannot say I like him and I cannot say I would want to have him as the Minister, but I do not, as yet, have a say in this government."

"I said discuss it tomorrow!" Molly called up. They all knew she wanted to hear Erin's answer and so did not say anything until she was done.

Erin said goodnight at the door to Ginny's room knowing the girl was already asleep and had been for about an hour.

About half an hour later Ron, George and Fred entered the room silently and told her what they were leaving. They would be back by daybreak, if not sooner. Erin made sure they knew the way and told them to be very careful. Fred and George both stole a kiss and were severely hit for it. "Get on with you!" Erin whispered as they climbed out the window and crawled along the roof and down a drainpipe. Erin watched as they pushed the car along the road a little before getting in. The car levitated up in the air and they were gone. Simple as that or so she hoped.


	4. Chapter 4

Part Four

Molly sat there looking at the black haired girl. "Erin, where did they go?"

"I promised I wouldn't—" A noise downstairs caused Molly to jump up and rush down there. Erin was a little slower on the uptake. She was still on the stairs when she heard Molly's voice magnified about twice its normal decibel.

"Where have you been?" Oh boy. "Harry, dear, how nice to see you…Beds empty! No note! Car gone! Erin covering for you! You could have been seen! You could have died!" Erin finally got down there after this tirade. "Of course I'm not blaming you, Harry dear."

"They were starving him, Mum." Erin saw Ron, Harry, Fred and George all standing there, looking quite guilty and Ron talking. "There were bars on his windows."

"Well, you'd better hope I don't put bars on your window, Ronald Weasley." Even Fred and George looked frightened; of course Fred and George were rather frightened of their mother. "Now, how about a spot of breakfast?"

Molly swept passed them into the kitchen. Erin watched her go and then turned to the boys. "She tried half the night to get something out of me. She couldn't." Erin grinned.

Fred and George were smiling. "All right, that's our girl."

"I'm not your girl." Erin said hugging Harry. He hugged her back. "So, I assume you were kept from answering our letters…did you even get them?"

"No." Harry said sighing. "A house elf has been stopping the post and trying to get me not to go back to Hogwarts this year."

Erin raised an eyebrow. "A house elf? That's strange."

"Finally, someone thinks it's strange." Harry said looking up at the ceiling. "They think house elves are normal and hovering between disbelief and wondering if I hit my head on something."

Erin gave the Weasley's a look and they all looked away feigning innocence. "Harry, believe me, I have seen things you don't even want to know about, but a house elf stopping your letters and trying to get you not to go back to Hogwarts is very strange and also severely punishable. But, hey, strange things happen even in the Wizarding world. Ok, breakfast, Molly is a great cook." Erin took his arm and pulled him into the kitchen.

Once Harry sat down Molly filled his plate with pancakes, bacon and eggs. "There you go, Harry, tuck in. Just one moment, Erin and your toast will be done."

"Thank you, Molly." Erin said sweetly.

"Mum loves Erin." Ron said sitting down beside Harry and across from Erin. "She eats and Mum likes to see a girl do more than pick at food."

Erin grinned. "Can't help it, fast metabolism and I am always active."

"And you still have a great figure. OW!" Fred rubbed the back of his head. "What did I say, Mum?"

"That's not something you compliment a girl about, especially not in front of your mother." Molly chided as George saw the opening and slipped into the seat beside the girl he was so smitten with. Fred took the seat on the other side noticing it was empty, so he wasn't upset about it.

"Morning, Weasley's." Mr. Weasley came through the door.

"Morning, Dad!" The Weasley's called out. Erin just called out 'morning' and Molly said 'Arthur'.

He sat down as his wife loaded up his plate. "Nine raids last night! Nine!" He was saying.

"Raids?" Harry asked.

"Dad works for the Ministry of Magic." Ron explained. "In the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. Dad loves Muggles, thinks their fascinating."

Mr. Weasley looked around nodding to Erin and his twins and then he looked at Ron, Harry and Percy, who had joined them in his nightshirt and uncombed hair. He stared at Harry for a moment. "And who are you?"

Harry looked surprised for a moment and then said, "Oh, I'm Harry, sir, Harry Potter."

"Good lord, are you really?" Erin slapped her hand over her mouth so she wouldn't laugh too loudly. Harry nodded and, seeing Erin trying not to laugh, he grinned. "Well, Ron's told us all about you, of course—" Erin turned into George's shoulder shaking with laughter. The redheaded boy looked like Christmas had come early this year. "When did he get here?" Mr. Weasley was oblivious to Erin's laughter.

"This morning." Molly said and he nodded. "Your sons flew that enchanted car of yours to Surrey and back last night."

"Did you really?" Mr. Weasley asked as Molly turned away. "How did it go?"

Erin's laughter could not be contained any longer and while the boys' all answered at once in the affirmative Erin was practically falling off her chair with giggles. Molly slapped her husband in the shoulder. "Oh, I mean that was very wrong of you boys, very wrong indeed." He leaned over to Fred. "I want a full report after breakfast."

Ron and Harry had shared an amused expression and an even more one watching Erin. "Erin, are you all right?" Harry asked smiling.

Before Erin could answer Ginny came running into the room wearing her nightgown. "Oh, Mummy, have you seen my jumper?"

"Yes, dear, it was on the cat." Molly said as if this was a normal occurrence and in the Weasley household, it was.

Ginny caught sight of Harry and her face turned into practical horror. "Hello." Harry said.

Ginny didn't say a word she just turned around and ran back to the stairs. A moment later the door to her room slammed. Erin laughed even more. "Oh, that was classic."

"What did I do?" Harry asked Ron.

"Ginny." Ron said. "She's been talking about you all summer." Fred and George exchanged looks of 'there is going to be teasing later'. "Bit annoying, really."

"Yeah." Erin said still trying to contain herself. "Who wants to talk about Harry all summer?"

Ron snorted at this. "Well, according to Ginny, Erin, you two do an awful lot of that."

Erin shot him a look. "Shut up, Ron."

Harry looked a little confused as he looked between his two best friends. "Is something going on that I don't know about?"

"Constantly." Erin said grinning. "There is always something going on that we don't know about."

"That's not what I meant." Harry said. "But that's all I'm going to get out of you. Are you all right?" He asked again.

"Oh, fine." Erin said. "It's that time of the month, so I do act a little weird."

Ron's fork dropped and so did his mouth as he stared at the girl. Harry looked at Ron. "Ron, you've known her almost a year and you're surprised at this?"

Ron was bright red and he looked down at his plate mumbling something. "Sorry, Ron." Erin said. "I didn't quite catch that."

He mumbled something again and then cleared his throat. "Let's talk about something else."

"Well, Ron, I'm surprised at you." Mr. Weasley said cheerfully eating his breakfast. "We've had this talk before, do we need to have another one?"

"No!" Ron said very pointedly. "Why don't you have a talk with Harry, Dad, I'm sure he needs one."

Harry raised his eyebrows at Ron. "No, I don't think I do, Ron. I had Health class in school the year before last and I am pretty sure I understand everything. If not I'll probably ask Erin or Hermione. I think they'd know."

"Probably." Erin said. She thought it was funny how different Ron and Harry were about things. Harry was pretty laid back about it and he really didn't care, Ron, on the other hand, was mortified at the mere mention of 'girls'.

"So, Harry." Mr. Weasley said. "You must know all about Muggles, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?"

Erin giggled again, she knew the function…it kept Muggles entertained in the bathtub. "Oh, umm…" Harry said.

There was a hoot from outside. "That will be Errol with the post." Molly said and sure enough the feather duster of an owl slammed into the closed side of the mirror a second later. "Oh, fetch it, Percy, will you, dear?"

Percy nodded and went to the window. "Errol."

"He's always doing that." Ron said.

The bird hopped into the window. "Oh, it's our Hogwarts letters, they've sent us Erin's and Harry's, as well."

"Dumbledore doesn't miss a trick that man." Mr. Weasley said as Percy handed out the letters.

Erin glanced over her list and saw most of it was comprised of Gilderoy Lockhart books. She glanced down it some more and rolled her eyes. She hated Gilderoy Lockhart. Mrs. Peabroom had the most insane crush on the man and it was the most annoying thing in the world. She felt like throwing up every time he was mentioned. Mrs. Peabroom was forever saying something like, 'Well according to Gilderoy…' or 'Oh, no dear! Gilderoy says to do it this way…' it was enough to make you want to use poison…on them!

"This lot won't come cheap, Mum." Fred was saying.

"We'll manage." Molly said as she held Harry's list in her hand. "There's only one place we're going to get all of this. Diagon Alley." Molly was still looking at the list. "Erin, Harry, you've brought your keys, right?"

"Keys?" Harry asked.

"Keys to the Gringott's vault, Harry." Erin said. "Yes, Molly, Mrs. Peabroom gave me mine before I left."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I have mine."

"Good, then." She said. "Oh, eat up. Erin, would you like some more?"

Erin had already finished her plate. "You know me."

"Oh, that's right." Molly said. "You've only had one plate." Molly was smiling and then she heaped up the plate with eggs, bacon, sausages and toast again. "I do love to see a girl who isn't afraid to eat."

"You'll never find me any different." Erin said.

"Yeah, Mum, you should have seen her last year." Fred said.

"She ate a whole cheesecake, by herself…" George said.

"Before breakfast…" Fred.

"And then had two plates at breakfast." George.

"I eat, ok?" Erin said laughing. "Nothing wrong with that."

"Nothing at all, dear." Molly said fondly. "You need some meat on those bones."

"A little weight would look good." Fred said looking the girl over.

"Quiet, Fred." Erin said. She lowered her voice. "I could show Molly the painting."

Fred went back to his breakfast. "You wouldn't, would you?"

"I would." Erin said.

"You're no fun." George said.

"Only your dreams." Erin said.

George and Fred both snorted and almost choked on their food. "What is wrong with you two?" Molly asked surprised.

"Nothing, Mum." Fred got out still laughing.


	5. Chapter 5

Part Five

They Weasley's plus Erin and Harry stood in the living room getting ready to go to Diagon Alley. Molly held out the Floo Powder. "Ok, Erin, you first."

The girl nodded and took some the powder in her hand. She stood in the fireplace and said very clearly. "Diagon Alley." And then threw the powder down. In a moment she was whirling around glimpsing other fires and the next moment she stood in the fireplace to the Leaky Cauldron. She stepped out and brushed the dust off herself before taking a seat to wait for the others.

In a moment Ron appeared. "Harry will be along in a moment." He said cheerfully taking a seat beside the pretty girl. They waited…and waited and then Fred and George appeared. "Where's Harry?" Erin asked.

"He's not here?" They asked together.

"Well," Fred said a little uncertainly. "He botched it…"

Erin rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm sure he's only gone a grate or two too far. He'll be fine."

"He's been in tighter spots before." George said good-naturedly.

"Yeah." Erin said shaking her head.

There was little conversation until Molly and Ginny appeared and then a moment later Arthur appeared also out of the fire. There was a brief, but intense conversation and then they all agreed to just go on and Harry would meet up with them later.

They went to Gringott's first and Erin and the Weasley's parted so they could go to their own vaults. Erin volunteered to go to Harry's. He had given her his key and she went to get the money out, she was surprised they let her, but as it turned out her name was on the list of people that could…that was strange, but she thought she knew why.

Erin was the first one out, even though she had the two vaults to visit. She got the money out and went outside, they had agreed to meet on the steps outside of the bank. There she bumped into a woman with long curly hair. "Oh, I'm…Mrs. Granger?"

The woman looked a little surprised and then her eyes lit up. "Oh, you're one of Hermione's friends!" Her smile was wide and friendly. "I'm just waiting for Hermione and her dad to come out. You don't know how relieved I am too see you, dear. I am quite out of place among you magic folk."

"It's all right, Mrs. Granger. Wizarding folk are just like Muggles. Well, uh, not quite all the time…Mr. Weasley, Ron's dad is completely obsessed with Muggle things. A few weeks ago he wanted to know the function of a rubber duck."

She giggled and Erin could see where Hermione got her sense of humor. "Did you tell him?" She asked curiously.

"No, but I was thinking it. He was asking Harry, you haven't met him yet, but you'll like him. He's nice and sweet and has this adventurous streak."

"Oh, do you have a bit of a crush on him?" She asked knowingly.

Erin went red and smiled, but was saved from answering by a shriek and then all she saw was mounds of bushy brown hair as Hermione squeezed the life out of her. "Oh, I missed you so much!"

Erin returned the embrace fervently. She had also missed her best gal pal. When Hermione finally let go she turned. "Dad, you remember Erin!"

Mr. Granger nodded. "It's nice to see you again."

"You too." Erin chirped. "The Weasley's are inside, but Harry, he was with us… but we're guessing he went one grate too far…he'll be ok, he always is. I'm just worried because I am always with him and I'm not now."

Hermione nodded sympathetically. "I know, he'll be fine without you, hon. Just don't worry. He can take care of himself."

"I know…" She sighed. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were talking now leaving their daughter to catch up. "Did you tell your parents?"

"About all that stuff?" Hermione asked. "Nope, well, not all of it. I told them about our year and the highlights, but I wasn't dumb enough to tell them about the Sorcerer's Stone or anything. They'd have never let me back! So, do you think we'll have a quiet year, this year?"

"I doubt it." Erin said sighing. "We seem to attract trouble of all kinds, so I doubt we will have a perfectly peaceful year. And don't forget Voldemort is still out there, still biding his time until he can put another plan into action." Erin ignored Hermione as she winced at the sound of Voldemort's name.

"Oh, I bought you a birthday present, but I think it better to wait until we on the Express to give you to you."

"Sure." Erin said shrugging. She had never gotten a birthday present from someone outside her family before…so mostly just Remus. She wondered what it could be.

At that moment Ron wondered by with his hands in his pockets and whistling nonchalantly pretending he didn't see Hermione. "RON!" He was practically tackled with the hug Hermione gave him. Every laughed. "I missed you!"

"I missed you, too! But you don't have to kill me to say so!" Ron complained, although Erin noticed he wasn't complaining too much. She grinned and Ron gave her a wink.

The three of them were deep in conversation by the time they noticed Ginny hovering near them. Erin grabbed her hand. "Sorry, Hon, this is Hermione, Hermione, Ginny Weasley, she's starting Hogwarts this year."

"Hi, Ginny." Hermione said smiling. "Hoping for Gryffindor?"

The redheaded girl nodded. "Yes, everyone is in it and it sounds like the best house."

"It is." Ron said. "But we're biased." He grinned and for once he didn't mind having his little sister around. Actually for once he didn't mind being surrounded by girls, he was used to being surrounded by boys and it was actually nice.

The groups walked to Flourish and Blotts hoping that Harry would meet up with them there. Erin and Hermione selected their books and paid for them. It was crowded in there due to a book signing by Gilderoy Lockhart. Erin didn't want to see him, not at all. Hermione was standing in the doorway and Erin heard her give a little shout. "Harry!"

Erin was right behind her as she tore down the street. "Harry! Hagrid, it's so good to see you!"

Erin could see the giant of man coming with Harry. "Hello, Hermione." Hagrid said. And then he was surprised to be hugged. "Erin?"

"Who else?" She said squeezing him extra-tightly.

"Ok, ok, off with ya." Hagrid said getting red. It wasn't that he didn't like Erin or showing affection…he just wasn't used to it. "Well, you're all right now, Harry, I'll see you later."

"Ok, bye!" Harry said and Hermione echoed him.

Hagrid managed to untangle himself from the black-haired girl and leave. Erin just smiled and then turned to Harry. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far. Where were you?"

"Knockturn Alley." He replied.

"Excellent!" They turned to see Fred, George and Ron standing there.

"We've never been allowed in." George said sighing.

They started to walk back to Flourish and Blotts. "Nevermind that." Harry said. "I was in a shop and Draco and his dad were there—"

"Was Lucius buying anything?" Mr. Weasley was just suddenly there, and instead of the normally smiling face, he was stern.

"No, selling." Harry said.

"Then he's scared. He's afraid we are going to be raiding his home next." Mr. Weasley had a self-satisfied air about him. "Well, come along, Molly's waiting for us and holding our place in line."

"Do I have too?" Erin asked.

"Oh, Erin…how couldn't you want to?" Hermione whispered. "Gilderoy Lockhart…" Her voice and face were dreamy.

Erin looked at her repulsed. "Not you too." Erin groaned.

"What's wrong, Erin?" Mr. Weasley asked.

Erin gave him a look. "All these witches fawning over a man just because he's good-looking and because of all the stuff he's says he's done in his books? It's demeaning and abhorrent!"

He only looked slightly surprised to hear a 12-year-old use those terms. "I agree, but there's not much we can do." He sighed.

"Erin, come on." Harry said not having heard any of the conversation. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along with Ron and Hermione in the lead. She made no objections to that though.

They found Molly near the head of the line. "Oh, Harry, dear, thank goodness, we hoped you'd only gone one grate too far. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, thanks." Harry said.

"Oh, there he is!" Molly said.

A tall blonde haired man came out of the back room posing for the camera. Erin made a gagging sound. Harry looked at her quite in agreement. He was still holding onto her hand, probably so he wouldn't lose her in the crowd. Lockhart suddenly stopped. "It can't be, Harry Potter…"

Harry's eyes grew huge. The photographer spotted him too. "Harry Potter!" And grabbed him pulling him forward, in return Erin was pulled forward because Harry was positively gripping her hand now. He did not want to be 'thrust into the lime light'.

"Erin!" He said pleadingly. Erin pulled back, the photographer may have been small, but he was ardent in his desire to get Harry up there.

"Come on, little girl! You can have been back in a moment!" He argued pulling harder.

Erin pulled right back. "He doesn't want to go up there!"

Then Lockhart stepped in. "Come on, Harry, together we rate the front page." And with that he pulled both Erin and Harry under his arms and smiled charmingly at the camera, with Harry looking surprised and Erin disgusted. After the photo they tried to get away, but Lockhart held them fast. "When young Harry and his girlfriend…" Erin blushed red. "…Stepped into Flourish and Blotts this morning they just wanted to purchase my autobiography, Magical Me and of course my autograph—"

"Wanna bet…" Erin said under her breath.

Lockhart continued as if he hadn't heard her. "Which I will present both of them now and the rest of my complete works, free of charge." The books were thrust into their hands and Harry, realizing that he had been gripping Erin's hand, let go. "And soon enough they will be getting the real me, for I have just accepted the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts." He smiled as the cameras went off again. "And now, we know Harry and what is your lovely girlfriends name?" He asked Harry.

Harry just wanted to get out of there as soon as he could. "Erin Lyancomp."

"Lyancomp?" Lockhart's smile faded for a fraction of a second. "I thought there were no more left…"

"Well, as you can see you're wrong." Erin said. "Now if you'll excuse us, please, I am sure you have books to sign."

"Ah, what a wonderful girl, thinking of others." He said taking back control of the conversation. "Yes, autographs! Step forward!"

Harry and Erin made a fast escape. "Oh, how wonderful." Molly said. "Give me those, I'll have them signed…"

"Molly," Erin interrupted. "I already bought a set of my own…so you can give those to Ron."

Ron went a little pink, but he was also looking extremely grateful at the pile. Harry nodded. "And you can give mine to Ginny, I can buy my own."

Mrs. Weasley was looking a little unsure, but also a bit grateful also…that meant they would only have to buy three second hand sets instead of five… "All right, dears, go on."

They took their leave with a sigh of relief. "I never want to go through that again." Harry said. "Thanks, though."

"No problem, but you're going to be getting some teasing." She said.

"Teasing?" Harry asked confused.

"Yeah, Lockhart called me your girlfriend." She reminded him. "They will definitely be putting that in the Daily Prophet. And everyone at Hogwarts reads the Daily Prophet…well, most of them."

Harry sighed, but then shrugged. "Ah well, you're a girl and you're a friend—"

"Well, well, famous Harry Potter, can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page." Malfoy suddenly stood in front of them.

Ginny scowled. "Leave him alone."

"Oh, look, Potter…" Malfoy grinned. "You've got yourself two girlfriends…"

The head of a cane was tapped on Malfoy's shoulder and they looked up to see a tall man with white-blonde hair. There was no guessing who this man was, they already knew. "Now, now, Draco, play nicely." Malfoy was swept to the side. "Ah, Harry Potter, we meet at last, forgive me." He drew him forward, "But your scar is legendary."

Erin pulled Harry back giving Lucius Malfoy a cold, hard glare. "Keep your distance."

Lucius did the slightest of double takes as he saw the black-haired girl. He licked his lips and tried to keep his face in an interested position. "You must be Miss Lyancomp, yes, I knew your parents…"

"I know." Erin said, the look not leaving her face, she narrowed her eyes even more. "Don't touch him again."

Lucius acted as though it hardly concerned him. "As I was saying, Harry, your scar is famous, as is the wizard you gave it to you."

"Voldemort murdered my parents." Harry said, he didn't like the man anymore than Erin did. He didn't notice he was gripping her hand again. "He was nothing but a murderer."

"You must be very brave to say his name…or very foolish." Lucius said condescendingly.

"Fear of the name only increases fear of thing itself." Hermione said.

"We have nothing to fear from a wizard that has no body of his own, a wizard that is a wreck and only holds sway by those who fear his name and what he once was." Erin said defiantly. She knew very well what Lucius Malfoy was.

Lucius decided not to acknowledge Erin, although it was in his breeding to, she was as pureblood as he was after all. He chose instead to acknowledge Hermione. "Ah, Miss Granger, is it?" Behind Hermione Draco nodded contemptuously. "Yes, Draco's told us all about you." His eyes moved over to where Arthur was talking to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. "Your parents…Muggles are they?" He said Muggles like someone would say 'animal'.

Erin's eyes flashed and Lucius' eyes darted back to her. He could feel the energy coming from her. "Malfoy, I would suggest you don't go any further down that vein or I will have to do something about it."

Lucius glared at her, but didn't say anything; he knew too well the blood that ran in those veins…she was the last, along with Draco…but she had the Lyancomp blood, the last of the Lyancomps and he knew better…she was still only a child…still not reached her full potential…her full power and knowledge…but if she was this powerful now…he didn't allow himself to continue thinking about it. Arthur Weasley put a hand to Harry's shoulder. "Children, it's mad in here, let's go outside."

"Well, well, Arthur Weasley, busy time at the Ministry, I see. I hope they are paying you well for it? All those raids."

Arthur looked up, but he didn't like Lucius any more than the others. "Lucius."

"I hope they are paying you overtime." He reached into Ginny's cauldron and pulled out a very, very old and worn out book. "Apparently not. Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy." Arthur said and then he put a hand on Erin's shoulder. The inference was clear. 'Calm down.'

"Cleary." Lucius sneered. He knew he was treading on thin ground, but his eyes wandered to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who had come up. "Associating with Muggles and I thought your family could sink no lower—"

Harry was able to stop Erin from doing anything, but he couldn't stop Arthur. Arthur had thrown himself past the two of them right into Lucius and the two were punching and throwing each other against the bookshelves. "Get him, Dad!" George shouted and then Mrs. Weasley, much to Erin's eye rolling, shouted. "No, Arthur! No!"

Then a voice came over the din. "Break it up, gents, break it up!" Hagrid was able to get to them and pull them apart. The two men glared at each other.

Lucius was the first one to break the stare. He turned to Ginny and thrust back her old book that he was still holding. "Take it, girl, it's the best your father can give you." He took his son by the arm and then after a look at Erin, who shot him such a look of contempt, they left.

All of them left after that. Mrs. Weasley was mortified at her husband's behavior. "What were you thinking? Brawling like that in public! With Lucius Malfoy of all people!"

Arthur sighed. "Molly, if I hadn't have done that, I knew for well sure that Erin would have."

Mrs. Weasley turned to look at Erin. "You, dear? But why?"

Erin was still pretty much upset at the whole situation. "Oh, you know embarrassing Ginny, treating Muggles like they were animals, making your family seem like less of wizards than _ours_." Erin hadn't realized what she had said until she realized everyone was looking at her.

"_Ours_?" Hermione asked.

Erin went scarlet. "Oh…Draco's mum is my second cousin." She said and didn't say another word. She had found out that much by writing to Remus and asking him about her family. He had told her what he knew, but he didn't know how she was related to the Weasley's. No one said any more as they continued their shopping.


	6. Chapter 6

Part Six

They were late to the station, not surprising, and they ran through the station to get to the train on time. "Fred, George, Percy, you first!" Molly called to her sons in front of her. When they were through Arthur nudged the two girls forward and they cleared the barrier. Ginny followed the older girl to where Fred and George were and the two boys grabbed their things to throw them on the train. Percy had to hurry to the front where the prefects were. "Tell Mother I couldn't wait!" He called back to them.

"Get on the train, you two." George said. Erin hopped up and Ginny followed. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley appeared then and kissed them.

"Where're Harry and Ron?" Erin asked surprised.

Molly looked around confused. "They were right behind us. Dear, hurry and see what's going on, the train will leave!"

The train was going and Erin put her hand out for Fred to jump on. He grabbed a hold and George grabbed his arm and they hauled themselves on. "Don't worry!" Molly called. "Everything will be fine!"

"What do those prats think they're doing?" George asked. "Where are they?"

Erin shook her head. "Harry would never do something like this and neither would Ron. Something must have happened, there is no way around it."

"Yeah," Fred said. "Guess you're right. Well, see you later. Have to find Lee."

"See you later." Erin called. She started down the train and then looked around. She looked back and saw Ginny standing there. "Ginny, come on." She said. "You can't stand there the entire trip."

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief and caught up to her friend. "Where will we sit?"

"Well, just have to find Hermione. She'll have saved seats for us." They wandered down the middle of the train and found Hermione near the end sitting with Neville and a dreamy looking girl with long blonde hair and large eyes (not the pretty large eyes, the staring type). Erin smiled as she opened the door to the compartment. "Hi." She said.

"Hi!" Hermione said. "I thought you'd missed the train!"

"I didn't, Ron and Harry did." She shook her head. "Everything will be ok though. Ginny, you remember Hermione and this is Neville Longbottom. Neville, this is Ginny, she's Ron's little sister."

"'Lo." The boy said nervously.

"And this is Luna Lovegood." Hermione was saying.

"Oh! Luna! It's good to see you!" Ginny said. "Our families got together with the Fawcett's and Diggory's and…someone else…and we had a picnic, remember?"

The girl's face lit up and she nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

Hermione took out a gift wrapped in pretty pink and white paper and had little bows and things on it. Erin was delighted and she slipped off the top of the long thin box and gasped as she pulled out the photo. "Oh, Hermione! It's gorgeous!" She touched the pretty carved frame and traced the vines and birds and other animals and the picture was even more beautiful. It was of the four of them on the last day of term…There was Ron on the far right smiling and had his hair all messed up and Harry next to him bruises and all, but keeping an absolutely wonderful smile. Erin was next to him grinning and Hermione next to her. They all had their arms around the people beside them. Erin smiled and a tear slipped down her cheek. "Thank you!" She said hugging her friend. "It's perfect."

They weren't too worried about Harry and Ron. They knew the Weasley's would get them to Hogwarts. It was later that afternoon when Erin awoke from a nap and looked out through blurry as at the landscape beyond the window. "What the bloody hell…"

Erin's exclamation of surprise roused the other occupants of the compartment and they all rushed to the window. Erin was rubbing the sleep completely from her eyes and they all saw it…a blue Ford Anglia flying along beside the train. "They wouldn't!" Ginny squeaked out.

"They would." Erin and Hermione groaned at the same time just as the door to the Anglia opened and Harry hanging from the door. Erin opened the window and drew her wand from her robes.

"Erin? Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Neville asked in alarm.

"Yes." Erin said. She did a sort of flick and circle thing with the wand and a cloud appeared beneath Harry. They were close enough to see what was going on. Harry looked down in surprise, he had been trying to reach for Ron's hand, but then he noticed the cloud underneath him. It was holding him up. The cloud rose slightly allowing him to reach Ron's hand and get pulled back into the car. The cloud disappeared as soon as the door was slammed shut.

"Oh, thank goodness." Hermione breathed leaning back and then, "I can't believe those two! Why on earth would they take that car to get to Hogwarts?"

"Settle down, Hermione." Erin said still watching out of the window. "I am sure they will have a most fascinating explanation for their behavior." She sighed; at least she hoped they did.

They reached Hogsmeade station at the usual time and told Luna and Ginny to follow Hagrid. "Hi, Hagrid!" Erin waved.

"Hey, you two, where's Harry and Ron?" He asked looking around.

"You don't want to know." Erin shook her head.

"Well, see yeh at the castle. Come on, firs' years!" He called swinging his lantern.

Fred and George appeared behind the two girls and 'escorted' them along the platform towards carriages that were lined up…with nothing to pull them. They clambered in and were joined by Lee and Neville. The ride to the castle was done in silence, after Neville spilled the beans about Ron and Harry that is.

Harry and Ron didn't shop up during the Sorting or after during the feast. Hermione and Erin walked up to the tower together talking quietly about what they had seen. Erin looked up and saw Harry and Ron in front of the portrait. "Harry! Ron!"

The boys turned relieved to see them. "Hey, you'll never guess what happened!"

"What?" Erin asked. "We were so worried after you got back into the car!"

"Oh, was that you?" Harry asked. "The cloud?"

Erin blushed a little and Hermione came to her rescue. "Of course it was." She waved it off knowing her friend did not like to be the center of attention. "Now tell us what happened."

"Ok." Harry agreed and they hurried up the staircase to find an empty classroom. Harry opened a door and made sure it was empty and ushered them in. Erin hopped up on a desk and Harry joined her, Ron and Hermione scooted onto the one behind it facing them. "Here goes." Harry said. "This summer a house-elf was stopping my mail hoping I would think I didn't have any friends so I would return to Hogwarts, he also used a hovering charm, so I get in trouble for it because it is in my home. I got an official warning. Though if anything else happens I'll probably be expelled or something." He took a breath. "Then Ron and I were the last to go through the barrier at Platform 9 ¾, it sealed itself and we missed the train. Ron had the idea to take the car and fly it to Hogwarts, we didn't know what else to do…" He explained. "We figured if the barrier sealed itself then Ron's mum and dad couldn't get back through…" He shook his head. "We weren't thinking clearly and then when we get here we land in a tree with huge branches and it tried to kill us…"

"The Whomping Willow." Erin said without thinking about it, her mind was on the House Elf and the Barrier.

"Yeah, that's what Snape said," Ron looked at Harry and then back at Erin.

"But, I don't think someone wants me here this year, the elf said that horrible things would be happening and that I was in great danger. I had to come back though…" Harry sighed. "Hogwarts is my home."

"I know what you mean." Erin said.


	7. Chapter 7

Part Seven

The next morning they were in Herbology dressed in gardening cloaks and standing around a table with plants on it. They were all talking and joking around until Professor Sprout came in. "Good morning, second years, welcome to Greenhouse Three. This year we will begin by studying Mandrakes. Can anyone tell me what a Mandrake is?" Erin and Hermione raised their hands. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

Hermione smiled. "Mandrake or Mandragora is a powerful restorative, it is used to return those that have been petrified to their original state."

"Excellent!" Sprout nodded. "Take ten points to Gryffindor." The Gryffindors were happy. "The mandrake is also quite dangerous, can anyone tell me why?"

Again Erin and Hermione raised their hands. "Yes, Miss Lyancomp?"

"Because the cry of a fully mature Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it."

"Precisely, take another ten points for Gryffindor." Again Gryffindor cheering, "Now, Miss Lyancomp made an important point, only the cry of a mature Mandrake will kill, these are only seedlings, so their cry won't kill, yet, yet, but it will knock you out for several hours. So everyone put their earmuffs on, you will be able to hear me because of the charm, but not the Mandrake." Everyone put on his or her earmuffs. "Now, you want to take a firm grasp and pull it out." And extremely ugly thing resembling a baby appeared; the cry was still heard a little. "Now just plop him back into a larger pot and put some dirt around him. All there is too it." Neville fainted. "Longbottom has been neglecting his earmuffs."

"No, Ma'am." Seamus said. "He's just fainted."

"Yes, well, leave him there." There was some giggling. Everyone knew Herbology was Neville's best subject and Professor Sprout didn't mind. "Ok, take your Mandrake firmly…" They all did. "And pull it up." Everyone did and came face to face with another extremely ugly baby-thing. Malfoy seemed to think they were cute and he tickled his only to be bitten. Erin laughed at him and he got mad squashing the thing into the bigger pot.

Everyone was bruised and battered by the time they were finally done and Neville was roused from the floor. It was lunchtime and he decided to stay to help out with the rest. He thought he would be ok for it. The rest of them trouped back inside to clean up.

Erin and Hermione appeared at lunch after taking a shower and washing the dirt from their hair. Harry and Ron had just cleaned up, when Erin saw them she sighed. "Scourgify!"

"We were clean enough!" Ron said indignantly.

"Not quite." Hermione said as they sat down across from the two boys.

Erin grabbed some potato chips and ate them as she started on an outline for their Herbology essay. Harry was reading it upside down. "You already know all about Mandrakes?" He asked.

"Yup." Erin said. "I read."

Harry was about to say something with Dean suddenly asked, "Hey, Ron, isn't that your owl?"

They looked up to see Hermes flying toward them. He hit the table…well he hit the bowl of potato chips and rolled over onto his back perfectly still. "Oh, no!" Ron said.

Hermione poked it. "He's alive."

"It's not that." Erin said. "It's that." She said pointing to the red envelope in the owl's beak. "That is a—"

"Hey, look, Weasley's got himself a Howler!" Seamus said laughing in mirth.

Erin glared at him and he quickly looked away. Neville shook his head. "I got one from my Gran once…it was horrible."

"Open it." Erin urged. "It will all be over in a moment."

Ron nodded as he took it and broke the seal. The envelope came to life. "**RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER IS NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS! JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET A HOLD OF YOU! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR, YOUNG MAN?**" Ron nodded at the envelope and then it stuck its 'tongue' out at him and tore itself apart. Ron was breathing heavily and looking around in fright. Even Fred and George looked terrified. Seamus laughed, but got such a look from Fred and George that he desisted instantly.

"Well, that could have gone better." Erin said as she picked Errol up and dusted him off. "Go get some rest." She told him. He took a drink out of her goblet staying well clear of Ron and then flew off.

"How come that bloody bird likes you?" Ron asked.

"Because I'm nice to him." Erin rolled her eyes and brushed the chip crumbs and feathers off of her parchment.

"Well, la-di-da." Ron grumbled. Erin smirked.

"So, Erin, what have you got for the essay?" Harry asked.


	8. Chapter 8

Part Eight

"What's next?" Ron asked as they got their things together.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts." Erin said promptly looking at her schedule.

"How can you even tell?" Harry asked. "You've inked them all out…"

"Only Dark Arts, better than what Hermione did." She said rolling her eyes.

"What did she do?" Harry asked. Ron and Hermione were behind them still as they exited the Great Hall.

Erin rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Outlined every lesson with _him_ in hearts." She sighed. "It's disgusting."

"Agreed." Harry said.

They walked to Lockhart's classroom. Erin was about to sit down when Hermione grabbed her arm. "Oh, Erin let me sit there!" She begged. It was in the front of the room.

"Gladly." Erin said slipping in next to Harry while Ron sat down on the other side of Hermione. She shook her head. And didn't realize anything until…

"Hey, Potter." Harry looked over and saw Malfoy sit down across from him. "Is it true what the Evening Prophet says?"

"About what?" He asked. Malfoy slapped down the paper on Harry's desk. "Oh, about the car? Yeah, we were—"

"No!" Malfoy laughed, not a nice sound. "You and Lyancomp."

"What?" Harry asked and then looked to the article on the bottom of the page talking about Lockhart's book signing and there typed in a heart-shape…

While at the book signing a famous figure made an appearance. Harry Potter showed up to personally welcome Mr. Lockhart to Hogwarts as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! And with Potter was his steady girlfriend, Erin Lyancomp. It seems our own 'Boy Who Lived' has found love. Little is known about Miss Lyancomp except that she bears the last name of one of the oldest pureblood families and she certainly bears the good looks. All the best to our young couple!

"Oh, my goodness." Harry said groaning. "This just isn't my life…"

Erin patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, let people think what they want." She sighed. "They will anyways."

Harry tossed the paper back at the hooting Malfoy and looked toward the study door that Lockhart had just made his appearance in. "Good afternoon and welcome to your first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher…me" He smiled and chuckled. "Order of Merlin, 3rd Class, Five time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award." He grinned. "But I don't talk about that, after all I didn't get rid of the Belden Banshee by smiling at him." He laughed.

"Her." Erin said.

"I beg your pardon?" He said.

"Her. Banshee's are female." Erin said. "You said 'him'."

"Oh, quite right." He said. "Of course, how silly of me. Her, of course it's a her." Erin looked around as most of the girls sighed. She shook her head. "Now, first of all, just a little quiz to see how much you've taken in from my books." The papers were passed back.

"You've got to be kidding." Erin said.

Lockhart grinned. "Never, Miss Lyancomp, I am sure you will do well on this."

Erin looked at Harry. "The only reason I will do well is because it's all I hear from certain people."

Harry nodded. "This is worse than the Prophet."

"Granted." Erin said and looked at the questions.

_What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?_

_What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?_

_What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?_

Erin grinned and wrote: That he is still breathing and hasn't been killed by his own hair care products.

Harry happened to look over and started laughing. Erin kept a straight face as she answered each question with a smart-alecky answer. Well if he was making them do this she might as well have fun.

It continued all the way to number 54.

_54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?_

Erin wrote: February 14 and his ideal gift would be a brain that actually works.

Lockhart collected them and looked through them, making comments here and there. "Oh, Mr. Potter! Clearly you haven't read _Year with the Yeti_ carefully enough; I say quite plainly my favorite color is lilac. And Miss Lyancomp…" He paused. "What the—" The girl just smiled angelically and looked at him, ok, the smile also had a hint of rebellion and impertinence. Lockhart was speechless as he read over the answers. "Well, uh," he coughed. "You have quite the sense of humor…"

"Thank you." Erin said.

"Well, let's see…yes, Miss Granger knew my secret ambition to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care products. In fact…full marks! Where is Miss Granger?"

Hermione weakly raised her hand. "Here, sir."

"Excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor. Now to business." He brought out a covered cage. "Now, be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. Now I ask you all to remain calm…do not scream…as it might PROVOKE THEM!" He whipped off the cover of the cage.

"Cornish pixies?" Seamus laughed.

"Freshly caught Cornish pixies, Mr. Finnigan. Devilish little blighters!" He paused. "Right then, let's see what you make of them!" He opened the door and they all zoomed out.

Everything was instantly in chaos. Erin was the only one that was really doing anything. She used her wand to stop one of them from hitting Harry on the side of the head repeatedly. Most of the others had fled the room, except Neville, who had been picked up and hung to the chandelier by the back of his robes. "Help! Get me down!"

"Get off me!" Hermione yelled. A pixie was pulling her hair.

"Stop!" Harry said and hit the pixie with a book.

"Best thing that book was ever used for." Erin said as she aimed her wand at a group of pixies binding them together and letting them fall on a desk struggling to get free.

"I'll just leave you four to nip them back in the cage!" Lockhart said just before he slammed the door to his office.

Hermione had had enough. "Immobolus!"

All the pixies froze in mid-air. "Why is it always me?" Neville asked.

"Bad karma." Erin said. "You need some Luck Potion."

"I'll take it." Neville said as Erin levitated him off the chandelier and back to the floor. "Thanks."

"No problem." She said as she bound more pixies together and stuffed them back into the cage.

"Last one." Ron said some time later as he just crammed it in and shut the door. "I cannot believe that man!"

"He just wanted us to have some hands on experience." Hermione defended.

"Yeah right." Erin snorted.

"Hands on?" Harry practically yelled at her. "Hermione, he doesn't have a clue what he's doing!"

"Rubbish!" She said. "You've read his books! Look at all the amazing things he's done!"

"Say's he's done." Erin argued. "It's all speculation if he really did those things!"

"You don't know that!" Hermione said angrily. "He's a wonderful teacher!"

"Oh, you're just saying that because you have a crush on him! If he was ugly as anything you would be saying the same things I am!"

"Well, he is good-looking." Hermione relented. "But he's still a good teacher!"

"Yes, and he has a smile that would charm a Banshee, right?" Harry, Ron and Neville were just looking back and forth between them silently watching the match. "He thought a _Banshee_ was male, for goodness sake! The man is so full of himself he makes up a quiz about himself and expects us to fawn over him and buy into all his lies!"

"They aren't lies!" Hermione said shrilly. "And anyone can make a simple mistake!"

"Hermione, do me a favor and stop making up excuses for him!"

"He's a teacher and deserves our respect!" She shot back.

"I'll give respect where it has been earned." Erin continued with a decisive shake of her head. "That man has never earned my respect. He has never earned my admiration or my trust. All he has earned is my contempt and dislike. And until he proves to me that he has done this things I will take everything he says with a grain of salt and I am definitely not one of those girls that likes a guy simply because he is handsome… although I don't really find him so. He isn't my type."

"Oh, and what is your type?" Hermione said before she could stop herself. "Skinny with black hair and glasses?"

Harry looked at little surprised and blushed a little. Erin wasn't fazed. "Maybe it is and maybe I like guys that are tall and red-headed or maybe round and cuddly."

Neville saw the humor in it and laughed. "I think she's skirting the question."

"That's Erin." Ron said shaking his head. "Ok, you two kiss and make-up."

Hermione and Erin looked at each other. Hermione sighed. "Sorry, I think he's a good teacher, though."

Erin nodded. "I'm sorry too and I just don't think he is."

"Let's agree to disagree." Harry said.

"OK." Hermione and Erin said at the same time and hugged.

"Good, now let's go." Neville said cheerfully and led the way out of the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Part Nine

Erin, Ron and Hermione were sitting on a bench out in the sunshine when they saw Oliver and the rest of the Quidditch team, dressed in their robes, come out one of the open hallways and then from the opposite side came Marcus Flint and the Slytherin Quidditch team, dressed in their robes. "I smell trouble." Ron said.

They all got up and went over. They heard Oliver ask, "Where do you think you're going, Flint?"

"Quidditch practice." The troll-like boy said.

"I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today." Oliver said keeping his emotions in check.

"Easy, Wood, I've got a note." He held up the parchment.

Oliver took it and opened it. "_I, Professor Severus Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today due to their need to train their new seeker._" Oliver looked up. "You've got a new Seeker. Who?"

The team parted and Malfoy stepped forward. "Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"That's right." He smirked. "And that's not all that's new this year." He indicated their brooms.

"Those are Nimbus 2001's." Ron saw in awe. "How'd you get those?"

"A gift from Draco's father." Flint said.

Hermione wasn't impressed. "Well, at least no one on the Gryffindor Team had to buy their way in, they got in on pure talent."

"No one asked you." Malfoy said. "You filthy little Mudblood."

There was no warning; Erin, Fred and George launched themselves on the boy. Flint managed to stop Fred and George by diving in front of Malfoy, but Erin was at a different angle and she landed on him and started punching. Alicia was shrieking, "How dare you?" Katie and Angelina were disgusted beyond anything, Oliver was in shock, and Fred and George were fighting with Flint to get a hold of Malfoy. Everyone was fighting. Ron had drawn his wand. "You'll pay for that, Malfoy!" A loud bang sounded and hit Ron. His wand had backfired. Ron had said something about it getting damaged in the 'fight' with the Whomping Willow.

Everyone stopped fighting at once and Malfoy took the opportunity to crawl behind some of the other Slytherins. Erin, Harry and Hermione hurried over to Ron. He was on his hands and knees. "Ron, are you ok?" Hermione asked and then a slug slid out of his mouth.

"Oh, gross." Erin said.

"Cool! Can you turn him around, Harry?" A small boy was there with a camera. Erin thought he was a Gryffindor…

"Not now, Colin! Get out of the way. Let's get him to Hagrid's, he's closest." Harry said as Erin took Ron's other arm and Hermione hurried ahead to tell Hagrid.

Hagrid gave Ron a bucket. "Nothing we can do, but wait 'til it stops, I'm afraid." He said shaking his head. "Who was he tryin' to curse anyway?"

"Malfoy." Harry said.

"He called Hermione the worst thing he could think of." Erin said sitting there with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. "Well, he won't be able to stand for a week!" She said satisfied. "The idiot."

"What did he call you?" Hagrid asked.

Hermione stood up and looked like she was about to cry. She turned away from the others. "He called be a 'Mudblood'."

"He did not." Hagrid said shocked.

"I don't understand." Harry said. "What's a 'Mudblood'?"

Hermione whirled around. "It means dirty blood. It's a really foul name to call someone that comes from non-magic parents, someone like me."

"Hermione…" Erin began.

Hagrid continued. "There are some families, Harry, like the Malfoy's, that think they are better than everyone because they are what is known as 'pureblood'." Hagrid rolled his eyes.

"Erin, you're pureblood, right?" Harry asked still not totally getting it.

"Yes, Harry, I am, and so's Ron. The point is it's all about thinking you're better than someone else. Harry, your mum was a genius when it came to this stuff and she is what people like the Malfoy's would term a 'Mudblood'. And look at Hermione, they haven't come up with a spell she can't do."

"Erin's parents never cared about all that." Hagrid said. "They were from some of the very last of the 'purebloods' and they didn't care. Erin's mum and yer mum, Harry, were best friends." He turned to Hermione. "Come 'ere." He said and Hermione did so. Hagrid took her hand. "Don't you think on what it for one moment!" He told her. "Being pureblood, being half-blood and being Muggle-born, it's nothing to worry yehself over. Look at all of yeh. I'm proud of yeh. You have Erin, who's as pureblood as they come, Ron, who is also a pureblood, but considered less by those idiots, Harry, who's half-blood and you, and yer Muggle-born. Yeh have all the bases covered with yeh four! And yer best friends!"

Hermione was smiling, even though she looked like she still wanted to cry. "Thanks, Hagrid."

"Don't mention it." He grinned.


	10. Chapter 10

Part Ten

Harry had detention with Lockhart that evening…right during dinner. Ron, Hermione and Erin ate and then Erin said she'd be back in a minute. Ron and Hermione wandered out into the Entrance Hall to wait for her. She was back with a something wrapped up that she put in her bag when they asked her about it. "Nevermind." She said. "I just thought Harry might be hungry after enduring 5 hours with Lockhart."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Ron said. "Unless the bloke makes him completely lose his appetite."

"Well, if that happens, I'll just eat it." Erin said.

"We know." Hermione and Ron said at the same time and laughed.

They went up the staircase towards the staircases and got to the hallway outside of Lockhart's room. "Harry!" Erin called as she saw him at the end of the hall.

Harry looked at them. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Erin asked.

"That voice." He persisted.

"Voice, what voice?" Hermione asked sounding a bit scared.

Harry paused listening. "It's going to kill."

"Kill?" Ron asked.

"Harry, wait!" Hermione called, because Harry had taken off down the hall.

They followed and found water all over the floor. Harry saw something reflected in it, as he got closer. Erin stood beside him. "_The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir beware._"

They were all looking at the wall. "It's written in blood…" Hermione said.

Harry turned looking curiously at something beside it. He was right next to it before he realized what it was…a cat…hanging by its tail from a torch. "It's Filch's cat." He whispered.

"Let's get out of here." Erin said grabbing Harry's arm. It was too late…this was the hallway that everyone came to, to get to the staircases. Students, on both sides, soon surrounded them.

"Enemies of the Heir Beware…" Malfoy said. "You'll be next Mudbloods."

"You'll be next if you don't shut up." Erin said.

"Hey, what's going on?" They heard Filch's voice coming closer. "What's goin on? Out of the way, out of the way." He saw them standing there. "Potter? What are you…?" He caught sight of Mrs. Norris. "Mrs. Norris?" He asked and then stared at Harry. "You've murdered my cat…"

"No." Harry said.

Filch moved forward. Erin's wand was out and pointing it at him. "Filch, no!"

"I'll kill ya!" He yelled not caring about Erin standing between him and Harry.

"No!" Erin yelled.

"I'll kill ya!" He yelled.

"Argus!" Dumbledore made his way through the students. "Argus, I—" He was a little surprised with the scene he saw in front of him. The message, the cat, Harry not knowing what to do, Erin with her wand pointed at Filch and Filch looming over them ready to kill them. "Everyone, please, go back to their dormitories, now." Erin grabbed Harry's hand. "Except…" Everyone stopped. "You four." No one had to guess who he was referring to. It was always them.

They turned back and Filch looked just as murderous as ever. "He killed my cat." Filch said. "Or she did." Erin rolled her eyes. "You saw what was written on the wall. He knows I'm a Squib!"

Erin sighed. "Oh, for goodness sake, who cares?" She said under her breath.

"She isn't dead, Argus." Dumbledore said, he had been examining her while Filch talked. "She has been petrified."

"Oh, how lucky I wasn't there, I know precisely the counter-curse that could have spared her." Lockhart obviously, butting in where he didn't belong.

"But, how, I cannot say…" Dumbledore said after giving Lockhart a look that could only be described as 'Riiiiiight.'

"Ask them!" Filch said pointing straight at the two. "They're the ones that did it! And she threatened me!"

"Yeah, you were going towards Harry with a murderous look in your eyes and what the bloody hell do you expect me to do?" Erin yelled at him.

"Settle down, Erin." Dumbledore said. "Argus, no second year could have done this. It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced—"

"Don't tell me that! You know what the girl comes from! I wouldn't have ever been surprised if her _father_ couldn't have done that sort of thing the day he came to Hogwarts!"

"Shut up!" Erin shouted.

"Her father knew things at 11 than most at 40 didn't know! A deranged lunatic, I'd be very surprised if she wasn't the same way!" Filch spat at her.

Erin growled like a wolf and launched herself at the man. Dumbledore caught her just in time. "Shut up! You don't know anything! Never! Never talk about my father like that! You gutless arse! You cowardly, spineless flobberworm!" Dumbledore was having quite a time holding the girl back. She was strong and she could struggle.

"We never touched Mrs. Norris." Harry said. "Erin, come on, calm down."

"If I might speak, Headmaster." Snape, joy, "Potter and his friends might simply have been in the wrong place and the wrong time." Was Snape actually defending them? "However," Ah, yes, "The circumstances are suspicious, I for one do not recall seeing Potter at dinner."

"That would be my fault, Severus." Lockhart said. "You see Harry was helping me answer my fan mail."

"It's called detention and I can't think of a worse punishment." Erin said.

"Erin." Dumbledore said a little warningly. "Innocent until proven guilty, Severus.

"We were heading back to the common room when we found Mrs. Norris." Harry said.

"We just found him, Professor." Hermione said. "When he said—" She looked at Harry.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"When I said I wasn't hungry." Harry said.

"My cat has been petrified!" Filch yelled. "I want to see some punishment!"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus. I am told that Professor Sprout," The woman looked surprised. "Has just procured a healthy bunch of Mandrakes," She smiled and McGonagall looked at the woman warmly, much different than her looks toward Lockhart. "As soon as they are full-size we will have the potion made to restore her." He turned toward Erin, still being a bit restrained in his arms and to the three behind them. "You four may go. Erin, are you all right now?"

"Yes." Erin said a little sulkily.

"Good. Off to bed." He said letting go of her and tapping her in the right direction.

Once they were a ways from the teachers they found an empty classroom and sat down at the back where they found some pillows. Erin took out the package she had. "Hungry, Harry?"

"Starving." He said. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." She replied.

"Do you think I should have told them about the voice I heard?" Harry asked.

"What was the voice?" Erin asked.

"Well, it sounded kind of weird…" He admitted. "Low and breathy, I guess. It just kept saying that it wanted to rip and kill and tear."

Hermione sighed. "No, Harry, you shouldn't have told them. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices is not a good sign."

"But what was the voice?" Harry asked. "And why am I the only one that can hear it?"

Hermione shrugged. Ron had his mouth full of a pie and Erin was looking thoughtful. "I am not sure, Harry, but there are so many reasons and so many guesses. Give us some time and we'll figure it out."

"Ok." Harry said. "What's the _Chamber of Secrets_?"

Ron spoke, with his mouth full, "I think Bill told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts…I can't remember though."

Erin nodded. "Yes, it's a legend…Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the most powerful wizards and witches of the age…" Even Hermione was leaning forward and listening eagerly. "Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle and invited children with magical abilities to study here and be safe from the outside world, which, as you know, was just beginning its hunts for magical users. Everything was harmonious for a few years…because there never were such friends as Helga and Rowena or Godric and Salazar, but then there began to be…disagreements about the students. You see in the beginning they existed very harmoniously, Salazar chose those of cunning and resourcefulness, Godric chose those with honor and courage, Rowena those with wisdom and a hunger for knowledge and Helga said she'd teach the rest and anyone who wanted to learn. Salazar thought they should be more selective in choosing the students. He felt that learning should be kept among the purebloods. He didn't trust those of Muggle-parentage. After a time there was a huge fight amongst the four of them and Slytherin left the school never to return. That is the historical reference after that it is clouded in legend and hearsay. The legend states that before leaving the school Slytherin built a secret chamber and in that chamber a monster is said to reside. The monster can be controlled by Slytherin's own true heir and the monster will purge the school of all who are unworthy, according to Slytherin, to study magic."

"Muggle-borns." Hermione said.

"Yes." Erin nodded. "According to history the school has been searched many times and no chamber has been found."

"Is there a chamber?" Harry asked.

"I don't know." The girl said. "I do know this though, the legend clearly states only Slytherin's heir can open the chamber and unleash the horror within. So only his heir would be able to find it."

"So the chamber has never been opened?" Hermione asked.

Erin bit her lip. "The thing is, I think it was." She was whispering now. The other three leaned closer. Erin looked around making sure they were alone. "I overheard someone say once that the chamber had been opened at Hogwarts and there…there was a death at Hogwarts because of it."

The next day they still hadn't stopped discussing it. "I always knew Slytherin was a loony." Ron snorted. "I didn't know he started the pureblood stuff. If the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin I would have gone straight home!"

Erin sighed. "It tried to put me in. I wouldn't let it though." She said slipping her bag onto her favorite chair in the common room.

"Really?" Harry asked. "It tried putting me in too."

"Silly thing." Erin said shaking her head.

"It considered putting me in Ravenclaw." Hermione said shrugging. "Just how things are."

"Time for dinner and I'm starved." Erin said.

There was a lot of whispering and pointing as they went down to the Great Hall. "I thought we were over this." Harry said rubbing his scar a little. It didn't hurt, but he just felt weird.

"It's not your scar." Hermione said.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

Hermione sighed. "I overheard some girls in the bathroom between classes…they were saying either you or Erin was Slytherin's Heir."

"How would they know?" Harry asked confused.

"The story is in a book and all the copies have been checked out of the library." Erin explained.

"Not as detailed as your account, though." Ron said.

Erin blushed a little and shrugged. "Ron." Hermione said warningly.

After eating they went back to the corridor, thankfully it was deserted; everyone else was still at dinner. They were checking it for clues. "There are scorch marks." Harry said. "Here and here."

"What about the water?" Erin asked and then looked toward the end of the hall. "Oh, Moaning Myrtle, that makes sense."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Someone must have upset her, she floods the bathroom when she's upset." Hermione said delicately.

Harry reached the end of the hall and took the doorknob in his hand. Ron's hit it away. "Ron…"

"We can't go in there! It's a girls' bathroom!"

"Oh, Ron." Hermione said sighing.

"No one will be in there." Erin said opening the door.

"Come on, let's have a look." Hermione said following Erin inside.

Harry followed, hey, he didn't care, and Ron came after him blushing the same color as his hair. Inside were a bunch of sinks arranged in a circle and around the corner were the stalls. Erin peaked inside each stall. "Myrtle's not here." She said cheerfully.

"Good." Hermione said. "It's terribly hard to come in here and try to go with her yelling at you or crying. The end stall is hers, but she'll haunt all of them."

"She doesn't mind me so much." Erin said. "But that's because I ignore her or tell her to be quiet. I think she actually likes me."

Hermione giggled. "Probably."

"Well, nothing in here." Harry said. "Let's go."

Harry opened the door and held it for the girls and Ron. "RON!" An absolutely horrified voice came from down the hall. They all looked up to see Percy running towards them. "What do you think you're doing? That's a girl's bathroom!"

"Just having a look around." Ron said.

"Do you know how this looks?" He yelled at them. "Coming here while everyone else is at dinner?"

"We never laid a finger on that cat!" Ron argued.

"Then why are you here? It doesn't—" Percy just seemed to realize that Hermione and Erin were there. They always were, but now Percy was looking from them to Harry and Ron and back again. "Oh, this just keeps getting worse!" He said. "You four were sneaking off to _snog_ in a _girl's bathroom_? Oh the humiliation." Percy said.

"What?" Erin and Hermione cried out.

"Percy, it's not—" Erin tried to explain.

"Last year you guys are caught on the Astronomy Tower at midnight to find a _dragon_ place and now it's a girl's _bathroom_?" Percy shook his head, he looked like he was freaking out, if it hadn't been this, it would have been hilarious. "Just go!" He yelled at them. "If I ever catch the four of you where you shouldn't be again…" He seemed at a loss for words. "I'll tell Mum, that's what I'll do!" From anyone else, but a Weasley, that would have been funny, but the four of them were staring at him mouths open looking aghast.

"You can't be serious!" Ron spluttered out. "You wouldn't tell Mum!"

"Watch me!" Percy shouted. "Now go!"

They went. There was no way that Percy was going to listen to them. He thought they were making out in a bathroom, well, fine, the ponce.


	11. Chapter 11

Part Eleven

Walking through the hall the next day they were still talking about it and trying to figure things out. "Who could have opened the Chamber of Secrets, though?" Harry asked.

"Well," Erin said. "It would have to be someone that is at least half-blood, and the half has to be an old wizarding family…but it's probably a pure-blood, because of Slytherin's views. And they have to have been told how to get into the Chamber…there must be a secret to it…"

"Yeah," Ron said. "And who do we know that thinks all Muggle-borns are scum?"

"If you're talking about Malfoy—" Hermione said not wanting to hear it.

"Of course!" Ron interrupted. "You heard him that night. 'You'll be next Mudbloods'."

"I heard him." Hermione said. "But Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?"

"He could be right." Erin said shrugging. "His father's side is a really old family."

"And they've probably been in Slytherin for years." Harry said.

"What about his mum's family?" Ron asked confused. "Why does it have to be his dad, not that I'm saying his dad is great or anything…"

"Because, Ron," Hermione said. "Erin is related to Draco's mum. If it was his mum's side it could have just as easily been her that could open it."

"True." Erin said and hurried on, she did not want this conversation to continue. "We need to find out, anyway, check it out."

"How are we going to do that?" Ron asked.

Erin and Hermione looked at each other. "Wasn't Snape talking about a potion in class the other day?" Hermione asked the other girl.

"Yeah, the Polyjuice Potion!" Erin said. "That would work."

"What are you two talking about?" Ron asked.

They ignored them. "Yes, he said is was in a book…_Moste Potente Potions_!"

"In the restricted section of the library!" Erin said. "We need a teacher to give us permission." The two were get excited about this.

"What are you two talking about?" Ron practically roared at them.

"I know just the teacher." Erin said grabbing Hermione's hand.

"Oh, Erin!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "What makes you think he'll give us permission?" Harry and Ron were following wondering what they were talking about.

"Because he'll sign anything that stays still long enough." Erin said.

"Lockhart." Ron and Harry said at the same time.

Erin caught him just as his sixth year class ended. "Oh, Professor! Hermione and I were having a disagreement about one of your books!"

"Oh, really?" He asked smiling. "Well, come in, let's see if we can't sort it out."

This was easy, Erin thought. "Yes, you see we were wondering about it in _Gadding with Ghouls_ and the slow-acting venoms…Hermione says that the venoms have to be in the form of a potion to work correctly and I say that they can be in their true forms."

"Ah, _Gadding with Ghouls_! Possibly, my favorite, you enjoyed it?"

"Oh, immensely." Hermione said. "It was so masterful how you caught that last one in a tea-strainer."

"Oh god…" Erin groaned. "Actually Professor, there is this book in the library that can help us with our argument since we know how valuable your time is. But it's in the restricted section…if you could just give us permission…"

"Of course, of course!" Lockhart smiled showing all his teeth. "No one will mind if I give a little help to the two most brilliant witches in your year, now will they?" Hermione was just gazing at him. Oh, boy, he called her brilliant. Lockhart was signing the slip of parchment and not even looking at the title. "There you are." He said handing it back to Erin.

"Thank you, so much, Professor. I am sure we will enjoy the book most immeasurably." Erin grabbed Hermione's arm and dragged her out.

"See in class, Professor!" She called back to him.

"Always an enjoyable experience!" He called back as some 1st years wandered in.

"Hey, Ginny, hi, Luna." Erin said going past them.

"Hi." Luna said brightly, but Ginny wasn't looking to well.

"Ginny?" Erin asked.

The girl looked up and nodded. "I'm feeling too well." She whispered.

"Well, I'll see you later." Erin said. "We'll sit in front of the fire, ok?"

Ginny nodded looking a bit better. "Ok."

They hurried to the library with Ron and Harry after them. They waited outside while Erin got the book. Hermione was practically crying by the time they came back out. Erin rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't let her keep the piece of parchment with his autograph on it." She explained. "Come on, we have work to do."

Erin sat down next to Neville in the stadium. Gryffindor and Slytherin were playing the first game of the season. Neville looked up smiling. "Mornin', Neville." Erin said.

"Morning." He said brightly. "If Harry up for the match?"

"He should be with how Oliver has been working them." Erin smirked.

"I heard you beat up Malfoy." He grinned at her.

"I certainly did." Erin said emphatically. "He called Hermione a 'Mudblood'. I wasn't going to allow him to get away with that."

"I wouldn't have either." He said. "He gives a bad name to the other 'purebloods'. Right, Ron?"

"Right." Ron said. "What are we talking about?"

"Malfoy." Erin said. "He gives a bad name to the other people in the school that are purebloods."

"Definitely right, then. That blowhard is just a ponce. You should hit him more often."

"Believe me." Erin sighed. "If I could, I would."

The match was well on its way and they were cheering for the Gryffindor team. Harry dodged a Bludger and then it changed direction in midair coming right back to him. "What the—?" Erin said.

Hagrid was behind them and looking through his binoculars. "Hey, Harry's got himself a Rogue Bludger, that's been tampered with, it has."

"I'll stop it." Ron said getting out his wand.

"No!" Erin and Hermione yelled at the same time.

"You could hit Harry." Hermione said. "Even with a proper wand it's too risky."

"Erin, what about you?" Ron asked.

"Even I would not attempt it." Erin said. "I want a live Harry, not one that is in a million pieces."

"You want him more than alive…" Ron said with a smirk. "OW!" He rubbed the back of his head where Erin had slapped him. "No more head-slapping!"

"Only if you stop talking about Harry and me." Erin said.

"Oh!" Ron groaned. They went back to watching Harry try to get away from the Bludger. He and Malfoy suddenly tore off in the same direction. Erin got up and Hermione and Ron followed her. They went down out the parapets to where it connected with the stadium. Just as they reached the bridge to the pitch they heard Lee shout. "Gryffindor wins!"

"Bludger!" Erin said running to where Harry was on the ground holding his arm. Harry was still dodging it. "Finite Incantatem!" Erin yelled. The Bludger turned to dust.

"Thanks." Harry said when Erin got to him.

"Are you ok?" She asked worriedly.

"My arm…I think it's broken."

"No to worry, Harry, I'll fix that in a jiffy!" They both looked and saw Lockhart there.

"No, not you." Harry said.

"Doesn't know what he's talking about." Lockhart said taking Harry's arm.

"No, really." Erin said trying to push him away. "Not you!"

"Out the way, dear girl, you're obviously hysterical. Braccius Imendium!" He held up Harry's arm and it flopped down. The idiot! "Yes, well, that can happen sometimes. But at least the bones are not broken."

"Broken?" Hagrid spluttered. "There's no bones left!"

"Oh, you—" Erin didn't finish her thought she held up her wand. "You pompous, arrogant excuse for a human being!"

"No, Erin, put the wand down!" Lockhart was smiling, but he was backing up. "Erin, put the wand down!"

"Hysterical, am I?" She said in an even tone. "I told you to just leave him as he was! Madame Pomfrey could make him right in a moment, but no! You decide you have to try and look good, but you just look like an arse!"

"Erin…" He said putting his hands up. "You don't want to do this."

"The bloody hell I don't!" She yelled.

"Erin!"

"Shoot." She said seeing Dumbledore there followed by McGonagall. "Let me explain myself."

"We know." McGonagall said holding up her hand. "But I am afraid we will have to dock 50 points from Gryffindor and you have a detention." Lockhart ran when he saw Erin's wand go down. McGonagall put her hand on Erin's shoulder. "Believe me, I have wanted to do that since the beginning of the year…but you have to respect your teachers. Those are the rules…"

"I won't respect him, he hasn't earned it…" Erin argued.

"Ah, Erin," Dumbledore said. "It isn't a question of respect then, it is a question of keeping your head and learning self-control." His eyes twinkled. "Understand?"

"Yes." Erin sighed.

"Good." He said. "Then let us go see how Harry is fairing."


	12. Chapter 12

Page 6 of 6

Part Twelve

It was a bright sunny Sunday morning. Erin had gone to get breakfast for everyone while Ron and Hermione went to the girls' bathroom to start on the Polyjuice Potion. She turned the corner and ran headlong into a wizard she had never seen before. "Oh, I'm sorry!" He said. Erin was on her knees picking up the toast that had spilled from the napkin.

"It's ok." Erin said.

He used his wand and the toast was all neatly back in the napkin. He helped her stand up. She got a good look at him now. He was tall with long black hair tied back into a ponytail. There was something so familiar about him…he blinked as he looked at her. Their hair was the same color, their eyes were the same shape and their faces were also… "Hey, I'm Donovan."

"Erin."

"I don't mean to pry…" He said carefully. "But are you adopted?"

"No." She said shaking her head. "I spent the first 11 years of my life in an orphanage."

"Yeah, I did too…you just seem so familiar to me…" A soft sound erupted from the pocket of his scarlet robes. "Sorry." He said pulling a lizard from his pocket. "What do you want?" He asked it. The lizard hissed at him and then leapt from his hand onto Erin's shoulder. Erin looked surprised. "I'm sorry. He does this sometimes. He won't hurt you."

"Oh, I'm not afraid." The black-haired girl said. "He's cute."

The lizard nuzzled her cheek and hissed at Donovan again. The wizard rolled his handsome brown eyes. "That's not funny, Archimedes."

"Do you know what he's saying?" Erin asked.

"Unfortunately. When I was about your age there was an accident is Care of Magical Creatures Class and the two of us were hit by a spell. We've been able to understand each other ever since."

"What's he saying?"

"Well, that's the funny part…he isn't making much sense at the moment. He keeps talking about your hair and eyes…" Donovan was as perplexed as she was.

The lizard was making strange sounds now. "And now?"

"And now he is yelling at me because he says I'm not bright enough to know what's right before my eyes. I don't know what's wrong with him." He said sighing. "Come on, Archimedes, we have to go see Mum."

"Who's your Mum?" Erin asked attempting to untangle the lizard from her hair.

"I am." They both looked up to see McGonagall coming towards him. "Hello, Don, what are you doing here?"

"I had the day off so I thought I'd come and see my favorite gal." He said smiling.

She smiled back. "It will be nice to catch up. I see you've met, Miss Lyancomp."

"Lyancomp?" Donovan's head whipped toward his mother.

"Is something wrong?" Erin asked pulling the hissing lizard from her, although he had sunk his hands into her hair and was putting up quite a fight.

"Uh, no." Don said shaking his head. "It's nothing. Archimedes, now."

The lizard went limp in defeat and Erin looked at him. "Don't worry, I'll see you later." She told him and hugged the little thing close to her cheek. The lizard grabbed on with his arms nuzzling her. She handed him back to Donovan.

"Thank you." He said still staring a little at her. "It was nice to meet you, Erin."

"You too, Donovan." She turned and watched them walk down the hall together. Donovan turned back once or twice with a puzzled expression on his face.

Erin hurried off to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and found Ron, Hermione and Erin in there. "Sorry, I'm late, I ran into a wizard with long black hair…he's McGonagall's son."

"Oh?" Hermione asked. "What's he like?"

"He's very nice and he can talk to a lizard because of an accident he had at school. Archimedes, the lizard, likes me." She sat down next to Harry and leaned against his leg. He was sitting against the wall with his legs bent up and his arms on them. Harry moved his arm as she leaned against him, but he didn't mind her there. She handed him some toast.

"Thanks." He said. Erin then handed some to Ron and Hermione.

Erin took a bite from her own pile, this one she had lathered with strawberry jam. "Oh, Erin!" Hermione said. "Harry told us about some stuff, tell it again, Harry."

The boy sighed. "Well, during the night, Dobby came and he told me the 'history was about to repeat itself', so that told me you were right and the Chamber was opened before. He also told me some cryptic stuff about Voldemort and it not being exactly him, but obviously connected somehow and then they brought Colin in. Dumbledore said that the Chamber had been opened again, so double the clarifying, you know."

"So, Lucius opened it while he was at school here and now he's taught Draco how to do it." Ron said as he leaned against the other wall, having already finished his toast.

"Maybe," Hermione said. "Erin, add the boomslang skin, please. We'll have to wait for the Polyjuice potion to be sure."

"Enlighten me." Ron said. "Why are we making the potion in broad daylight in the middle of a girls' bathroom? Don't you think we'll be caught?"

"No." Hermione said chuckling.

"No one ever come in here." Erin said as she added the skin slowly.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Moaning Myrtle." Hermione said.

"Who?"

"Moaning Myrtle." Erin said just as they saw the ghost girl come out of the stall beside Ron and look at him.

"Who's that?" Ron asked again.

"I'm Moaning Myrtle." The girl said.

Ron turned surprised. "Oh…"

"I wouldn't expect you to know me." She said "Who would ever talk about miserable, moping, moaning Myrtle?" She gave a shriek and then flew back into her stall and down a toilet creating a splash.

"She's a little sensitive." Erin said and leaned back against Harry. "Well, I've got detention." She sighed.

"What did you do?" Harry asked.

Hermione didn't look at her best friend and she was looking a little pink. Ron snorted. "Oh, you two." Erin said exasperatedly. "Well, Harry…after Lockhart sort of took your bones, I threatened him with my wand. Nothing big, but I lost 50 points and got a detention."

"Have they told you what you're going to do?" Harry asked.

"Yes." Erin sighed and then grinned. "Dumbledore needed someone to spend an evening helping him go through some old boxes and stuff, so I was given that. I got off easy, but McGonagall told me she had wanted to do the same thing and Dumbledore said I had to learn self-control. I exhibit a lot of self-control."

"We know." Ron said snorting loudly. "We see you right now."

"Shut up, Ronald!" Erin said throwing him a death glare.

Harry looked between the two not sure what was going on and Hermione just smirked. "Stop fighting, you two." She said. "Ron, you promised you wouldn't say anything."

"I lied." He got out between the laughter.

Erin spotted a notice on the Gryffindor post-board. "Hey, guys, they're starting a Dueling Club…think we should go?"

The other three crowded around her. "Why not?" Harry said. "Sounds like it could be useful."

"Who do you think will lead it?" Ron asked reading the notice.

"Someone told me Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was young." Hermione said. "Maybe he will."

"I'll guess we'll see when we get there." Erin mused. "Ok, boys, you have to finish your Potions essay if you want to go."

"You're not our mother, Erin." Ron complained.

"No, but I am standing right here and telling you that you need to have your Potions essay done to go." She said.

Ron and Harry looked at each other. "Ok." They sighed and went over to their favorite spots to start on the essay.

The four of them arrived early and got spots near the front. The chairs and tables had been removed and a long stage set up. Erin groaned when she saw Lockhart striding toward the stage. "Can you all see me? Can you all hear me?"

"Unfortunately." Erin groaned.

"Good." He said. "Now, Dumbledore has given us permission to start this little dueling club. Professor Snape has kindly agreed to assist me in this little endeavor. So, straight into a little demonstration." The two men faced each other, drawing their wands and then turned from each other counting off paces, they turned back towards each other.

"Oh, maybe they will finish each other off." Erin said. Harry and Ron were quick to wish these same things.

"Expelliarmus!" Snape yelled. The wand flew from Lockhart's grasp and he himself fell back on the stage.

"Excellent, Professor, wonderful thing to show them that." Lockhart said getting up. "Although, if you don't mind me saying so it was pretty obvious what you were about to do." Snape gave him a look that would have caused any sane person to run for the hills.

"Why don't we first teach the students to block unfriendly spells?" Snape suggested.

"Yes, right you are! Break into pairs! Or we will put you into pairs." The men hopped off the stage at different ends and began breaking everyone into pairs.

Snape reached the four of them before Lockhart and Harry stepped towards Ron. "I think not, it's time to break up the dream team." Harry stepped to his other side towards Hermione. "Think again." Harry stepped back next to Erin. "No, Potter, I'm afraid that won't do. Malfoy! Bulstrode! Zabini!" He looked at Ron. "You can partner Finnigan." Ron looked relieved and hurried over to the sandy-haired boy. "Malfoy and Potter…Granger and Bulstrode…Lyancomp and Zabini."

When they had finished partnering everyone they said. "Now, I want you to face your opponent and cast spells to disarm only."

Erin looked at the handsome black boy across from her with slanting brown eyes. He was looking at her too. "A pureblood, Lyancomp, right?"

Erin raised an eyebrow at him. "I am, so what?"

"So, how about a date Friday night?"

Erin was surprised and a little taken aback by this. At first she had no idea what to say and then she heard Harry near her. "I doubt she'd be interested in you, Zabini." He said. "She doesn't associate with Slytherins."

Zabini sneered. "Oh, so she's your property? You've got the prettiest girl at Hogwarts fawning over you?"

"Erin is her own free person."

"That's right, I am." Erin said. "I can answer for myself, Harry." The boy nodded. "The answer is no, Zabini."

"All right, on the ready!" They faced each other. "Turn." They did. "Three steps, turn, and disarm!"

Erin never spoke a word, her wand sliced through the air and Zabini flew through the air, his wand lost, and he landed a good 20 feet away. Snape glared at her. "What did you do?"

"I disarmed him." She said calmly.

"You didn't say anything!" He accused.

"I know, Professor, it's called not having to speak to cast a spell."

His eyes narrowed, that was very advanced magic, they didn't even attempt that at Hogwarts until the sixth year…Her mind was more powerful…as a Legilimens she would have that sort of control. "I said disarm only!" Lockhart was frantic.

"Finite Incantatem!" Snape yelled and everything was over, except Hermione struggling in a headlock from Millicent Bulstrode. This was soon sorted out and Snape suggested a volunteer pair. "Potter, Malfoy!" Harry didn't look so sure, but he went up on the stage with Malfoy anyway.

They faced one another, turned, paced and turned back. Lockhart counted. "1…2…--" He never finished because Malfoy attacked before the proper time. Harry was throne back. "I said disarm only!"

Harry scrambled up. "Rictusempra!"

Malfoy flew back landing hard on his backside. Snape picked him up and roughly pushed him back in. "Serpensortia!"

A snake issued from his wand and slithered towards Harry. It stopped and stared at a Hufflepuff student, Justin Finch-Fletchley. Harry stepped forward and hissed at the snake. It looked at him and hissed back and then went to strike Justin. Harry hissed again and the snake turned its attention back to Harry. Erin watched all of this and she wasn't the only one that knew…Harry was a Parselmouth!

Snape got rid of the snake and everyone just stared at him. Harry had never seen Snape look so surprised. Erin was the first to react. She got onto the stage and grabbed Harry's arm. "Come on." She whispered urgently.

Harry couldn't believe the shocked faces and he did let himself be pulled by the black-haired girl right out of the Great Hall followed by Ron and Hermione.

No one had spoken until they got back to the common room. "You're a Parselmouth! Why didn't you tell us?" Ron demanded.

"I'm a what?" Harry asked.

"Parselmouth." Hermione said.

"You can talk to snakes." Erin elaborated and she was beginning to put things together…

"Oh, I know." Harry said. "I set a boa constrictor on my cousin once at the zoo… Once!" He said. "But so what? I bet loads of people here can do it." He looked so sure of himself.

"No…" Hermione said. "They can't, it's not a very common gift."

"This is bad." Ron said.

"What's bad?" Harry asked. "If I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin—"

"Oh, that's what you said to it." Ron said.

"What?" Harry asked. "You were there, you heard me!"

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue. Snake language." Ron argued.

"I spoke another language?" Harry asked. "But, how could I without realizing it?"

"I don't know." Hermione said. "But it sounded like you were egging the snake on or something."

"But I wasn't." Harry said.

"Harry, listen to me." Erin said. Harry looked at her. "There's a reason the symbol of Slytherin house is a serpent. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth…he could talk to snakes too."

"Exactly." Ron said. "Now everyone is going to think you're his great-great-great-great-great grandson or something."

"But, I'm not!" Harry argued. "Am I?"

"He lived a thousand years ago." Hermione said. "For all we know you could be."

"But…" Erin said interrupting them. "That doesn't mean anything, Harry. You aren't the Heir of Slytherin. You didn't attack Mrs. Norris or Colin. But people will talk and they will assume things that aren't true. We'll be here, Harry, just like we always are." She promised him.

"Thanks." He said. She always knew what to say to make him stop worrying so much.


	13. Chapter 13

Page 5 of 5

Part 13

It was evening and most of the second years and some first years were in one of the study rooms doing homework and studying…that and staring at Harry. Harry wasn't immune to the staring and it was getting on his nerves. He leaned over to Erin, who was sitting beside him, "How am I supposed to complete this essay with people staring at me?"

She looked around and glared menacingly at a couple of Ravenclaws that turned quickly. "Come on." She said. "Let's go back to the common room, I'll help you with it and we won't have to put up with these idiots." She got her stuff together. Harry looked up and Ron and Hermione didn't really know what to say or do about it. He looked along the table at Ginny, who just went back to writing in her book. Erin stood up and Harry looked at her before getting his own stuff together.

The two of them left and Harry stared at the ones that had been staring at him. See how they liked it. They stopped though when they were out in the corridor. Harry heard some Hufflepuffs talking about him. Erin knew it was Ernie Macmillan who was talking. "I told Justin to stay in the dormitory. If Potter has marked him for his next victim he can't be too careful."

"Harry!" Erin whispered rolling her eyes.

Harry waved her off and kept listening, hidden by the wall. "You definitely think it is him, then?" Erin was quite sure it was Hannah talking.

"He's a Parselmouth, everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark Wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one that could talk to snakes?"

"But he's always been so nice." Hannah argued. "And look at Erin, she's one of the nicest people I know and she doesn't think it's him…of course, we thought it was her before…"

"She could be helping him just as easily, Hannah. Everyone knows she's his girlfriend…"

"Not him too." Erin muttered. Why did everyone think she was his girlfriend? Harry didn't even seem to care since he was still listening.

"No one knows why Potter survived when You-Know-Who met his downfall, he could be a Darker Wizard than him…and he hates those Muggles he lives with…"

"What about Hermione though?" Hannah asked. "She's a Muggle and they're friends."

"I don't know, maybe it's all an act."

"Do you think Justin will be ok?"

"I don't know." Ernie repeated. "But Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let it slip to Potter that he was Muggle born."

Harry had heard enough he swept down the hall. "How could they even think that?" He asked the girl behind him. "How could they…?"

Erin shrugged. "I told you, Harry, people will think what they want. I know you're not the Heir of Slytherin. You never had time to attack anyone. And I most certainly haven't. Harry, this is just like last year after we freed Norbert, no one would talk to us…of course then it was because they all thought we snuck off to snog on the Astronomy tower." Erin laughed and Harry, who had been scowling, could help a laugh of his own. "Have you noticed how people's mind automatically go to kissing if a guy and girl go off alone together?"

"It's absurd." Harry said, his mood considerably lighter. "They've got nothing better to fill their minds with, so they assume other people are doing just that."

Erin shook her head. "Remember, Harry, you said it yourself, you can weather anything, just as long as we have each other." She grinned. "And you have us, Hermione, Ron and me."

"Yeah, I know." He hugged her. It was unexpected, but Erin hugged him back. "Come on." He said when he let go. "I have to finish that essay."

"Sure." Erin said and they turned the corner. "Oh, my god!"

They stared transfixed at what they saw. Nearly Headless Nick was floating there, slowly rotating…and Justin was lying on the floor behind him…both of them petrified…Harry dropped his book and hurried forward. He kneeled next to Justin touching the hard skin… "Caught in the act!"

Erin whirled around and saw Filch. "We just found them!" She yelled at him glaring.

"This time you'll be out of here." And he hurried off.

"What a jerk." Erin mumbled under her breath.

"Hey, Erin…look at this…"

"What?" She asked coming over to him. He pointed to a line of spiders going out through a broken pane in the window. "That's strange…

"Oh no!" They turned to see McGonagall there. She looked at the two of them and back at Justin.

"Professor, we just got here and found them." Erin explained.

"We swear…we didn't…" Harry managed to get out.

"This is out of my hands." She said. "Filch, fetch Madam Pomfrey, you two, come with me."

She led us along the corridors until we came to a large statue with the head of an eagle. "Sherbet Lemon." She said and the statue began rotating and going upward revealing a staircase. "Professor Dumbledore is waiting for you."

We stepped on the staircase and rode it to the top. When it stopped we found ourselves in front of a door. Harry and Erin looked at each other finally Erin knocked. "Come in!" A voice called.

Harry opened the door and let her go in first. "Oh, thanks so much." She said.

Harry smiled, at least she had her sense of humor, and they might actually get through this. Dumbledore's office was quite unlike anything either of them had ever seen. There were books everywhere and other curious knickknacks…including the Sorting Hat. And then they spotted a bird on a pedestal. It didn't look too good. Dumbledore however couldn't be seen anywhere. The voice had come from a painting…there were about 20 of them if not more. This one was of wizard with white hair and a stern expression. "Dumbledore will be back momentarily, I am Professor Dippet, the Headmaster before Dumbledore."

Erin was busy stroking the head of the cute little sick bird. "Oh, aren't you a gorgeous little boy?"

The bird crooned happily. Harry nodded to the painting. "Uh, thank you. Erin, what are you—"

Erin jumped back as the bird burst into flame and fell into ash. "Erin? Harry?"

They both looked up to see Dumbledore standing above them. He came down some stairs. "Sir, your bird…" Harry said.

"Oh, yes, and about time too." Dumbledore said. "He's been looking awful for days. I told him to get a move on…"

"Oh, he's a phoenix." Erin said. "No wonder he liked me."

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded. "No wonder." He smiled and it was like the two of them shared a secret joke. "Harry, Phoenix's are very special creatures, when they die they reduced to ash and are reborn from the ashes. Look." They bent over the ashes and saw that a little bird was there moving out from under them. "Ah, Fawkes…"

"What a cute little baby…" Erin said reaching out a finger to nuzzle the little bird. It crooned again. "Phoenix's make highly faithful pets, they can carry very heavy loads and their tears have healing powers!"

The door to the office burst open and Hagrid stood there waving a dead chicken around. "Headmaster! Wait! Stop! It wasn't Harry or Erin! I know! They'd never do this sort of thing! In fact I'd be willing to swear before the Ministry of Magic!"

"Hagrid! I do not believe they did it."

"Well, of course yeh don't! And—" He paused. "Oh, well, I'll just wait outside then." Hagrid left looking very red.

"You don't believe it was us, sir?" Harry asked.

"No, Harry," Dumbledore shook his head. "I do not believe it was either of you. But, I must ask you whether you have anything to tell me…"

Harry and Erin exchanged a look. Harry shook his head. "No, Professor."

"Erin?"

"No." She said. "No, sir there isn't anything."

Dumbledore looked at both of them as if he was trying to figure something out and then sighed. "All right, you may go."

The Christmas holidays came fast. Everyday the Weasley's, Erin and Hermione were outside having snowball fights, making snowmen and joining Hagrid for sleigh rides. Christmas morning arrived, cold and Hermione woke Erin up around six. Fortunately Erin was able to stop Hermione from waking the boys up. They went and checked on the potion and Erin came back promising to wake the boys up.

Erin yawned as she walked into the boy's dorm. She shook Ron awake and then went over to Harry. "Wake up." She said shaking him.

Harry opened his eyes groggily. "It's too early." He said. "What time is it?"

"Seven, Hermione is playing Christmas Nazi and waking me up at six, don't worry I managed to forestall her in waking you two up."

Harry yawned. "Not waking up." He said flopping back down on his pillows.

"Fine, move over." Erin said, when he didn't she simply crawled over him and stealing one of his pillows. It was cold and Erin was still in her nightgown and bathrobe. Ron yawned and slid into Harry's bed next to Erin, it was cold and he was tired. Erin scooted over and Ron had his own pillow.

"Hey, this is _my_ bed!" Harry complained half-heartedly.

"Don't complain." Erin said snuggling under the covers. "It's warm."

"You're the warmest." Ron said. "You're in the middle."

"Too true." Erin said.

It was about half an hour later when Hermione walked into the boy's dorm and chuckled. Ron was snoring; Erin was sprawled out with one arm across Harry's chest, the other across Ron's face and Harry had his mouth open and one leg was out of the covers. "Oh, this is waking up?" She asked laughing.

Ron groaned. "Whatya want?" He asked sitting up and Erin's arm flopped back on his pillow. He fell back down on Erin's arm. The other two didn't even wake up.

Oh, this was too good to pass up. Hermione ran up the stairs to Fred and George's dorm and flung open the door without knocking. The boy's were snoring their heads off. "Wake up!" She told them shaking Fred.

Fred opened his eyes. "Hermione, do you know what time it is?"

"Yes, it's 7:30, I need your camera!"

"Why?"

"Because Harry, Erin and Ron are asleep in Harry's bed and it looks so funny." She told him.

Well, anything to do with Erin. Fred and George looked at each other for a moment and then were out of bed and George grabbed the camera. They hurried down the tower stairs and into the 2nd years' dorm. George put the camera up to his eye and took a picture. The flash cause Erin to sit up startled. She blinked at them. "Too early." She flopped back down and was asleep the next moment. Hermione, Fred and George fell over each other laughing.


	14. Chapter 14

Page 6 of 6

Part 14

Harry, Ron, Erin and Hermione sat away from the others at dinner that night. "The Polyjuice potion is ready." Erin said.

"We just a bit of whoever we're turning into." Hermione explained.

"Crabbe and Goyle." Ron said. "What about you, Erin?"

"Parkinson." Erin said making a face. "She's really into Malfoy and he doesn't seem to mind having her around."

"What about you, Hermione? Whose hair are you ripping out?"

"I've already got mine." She said pulling out a small vial. "Millicent Bulstrode, this came off her robes during the Dueling Club."

"You could turn in to Zabini, Erin." Ron said grinning with mirth.

Erin sighed and rolled her eyes. The boy did not know when to quit. "Has he asked you out, again?" Harry asked.

"Yes…" Erin groaned.

"He cornered her before dinner." Hermione said sympathetically. "He was a bit more forceful this time, but he doesn't seem to want to get the hint that he's not the one she's interested in."

"Who are you interested in?" Harry suddenly asked.

"No one of importance." Erin quickly said. "So we'll have to get the hairs after dinner."

"How?" Ron asked.

"I've got it all figured out." Hermione said pulling out two cupcakes. "I've filled these with a simple sleeping draught, simple, but effective."

"And what about Parkinson?" Harry asked.

Erin grinned. "I've got a plan for that. Don't worry, I'll meet you there."

Erin walked down the corridor behind Pansy smirking. "Hey, Parkinson, better wiggle more, Malfoy won't know what to look at."

Pansy whirled around glaring maliciously at the black-haired girl. "Mind your own business, Lyancomp!"

"Everyone knows you have the hots for him." Erin smirked. "And even he isn't that dense."

Malfoy was actually watching with amusement with Zabini and Nott. Zabini was watching with more than interest. "I bet you ten Galleons Erin can take Pansy."

"Deal." Malfoy said.

"Hey, Zabini, if Pansy can take me, I'll go out with you." Erin shot him.

Zabini raised an eyebrow. "I win no matter what."

"Why don't you go back to your little scarred boy?" Pansy threw at her. "I am sure you keep him warm on these cold nights."

"No more than you keep Draco warm…" Erin said, she knew that Pansy couldn't say anything that would leave this hallway. "What's the matter, Pansy? Are you a little pansy?"

That had made the girl with short black hair crack. Pansy threw herself onto the girl with long black hair and in moments that was basically what the boys' saw, lots of black hair as they had a 'cat fight'. Normally, Erin wouldn't have fought like this, but she was putting on an act and keeping these ones occupied so they wouldn't go looking for Crabbe and Goyle. Erin tore out some of Pansy's hair and was scratched for it.

The fight continued until they heard shouts. "Stop it, both of you!" McGonagall's voice came over the din.

"Stop!" Erin recognized the voice as Donovan. He grabbed her arms and pulled her back while McGonagall held onto Pansy.

"Explain yourselves!" McGonagall spluttered out.

"Just a little disagreement." Erin said.

McGonagall didn't know what to say. "20 points from Gryffindor and Slytherin. Both of you get to the hospital wing."

They went and didn't speak to each other as they did so.

Erin walked into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom a little while later. The other three were waiting for her. Ron looked at the smug look on her face and raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"I started a fight with Pansy in front of Malfoy, Zabini and Nott." She grinned. "I lost Gryffindor 20 points, but it was worth it, McGonagall caught us and she sent us to the hospital wing, oh and I saw Donovan again, he was with her."

"What happened after you went to the hospital wing?" Harry asked.

"After Madam Pomfrey fixed us up I stunned her from behind, after she got to the Entrance Hall, I was invisible, and I stuffed her into an already overflowing closet." She grinned.

"With Crabbe and Goyle?" Hermione asked grinning.

"Right." Erin grinned.

"Ok, let's get this going." Hermione said shaking her head and laughing. She put the potion into four cups. "Ok, add the hairs."

They did and then they drank. "Cheers." Harry said.

It was disgusting. "I'm going to be sick." Ron said.

"Me too!" Hermione added and they both ran for stalls. Erin actually had the least amount to change, her and Pansy were the same size and really only their faces and hair was a little different. Well, there faces a lot different, but that was probably why Erin didn't feel so bad. Harry and Goyle actually looked a bit alike to, Goyle was just larger and his face shaped differently.

In a moment Erin looked up and saw Goyle beside her. 'Goyle' looked up also at her. "Erin?" He asked in the Goyle's voice.

Erin giggled. "Yup. Transformation complete."

"You read too many science fiction novels." He laughed.

"I read too much as it is." She grinned and then Crabbe walked out of a stall.

"Harry? Erin?"

"Excellent." Harry said looking at Ron.

"Hermione, come on." Erin called. "Let's get going!"

"No, I don't think so. You go on without me!" Hermione's voice was high and a little scared.

"Hermione, are you all right?" Harry asked.

"Yes! Just go! You only have an hour!"

"Let's go." Erin said sighing.

They were lost…walking around the dungeons where the Slytherin Common Room entrance was. "Excuse me?"

They looked up surprised and saw Percy striding towards them. Oh…fabulous… actually Ron said something quite different. "What are you doing down here?"

Percy looked at them suspiciously. "I happen to be a school prefect, you however have no right to be walking around at this time of night. What are your name's again?"

"Ummm…I'm…" Erin started. "He's…uh…"

"Crabbe, Goyle! There you are! What have you been doing? Pigging out in the Great Hall all this time?" Malfoy was striding towards them.

"Hi, Draco." Erin said in low voice she had heard Pansy use while speaking to Malfoy.

Malfoy looked temporarily surprised, but then smirked. "Pansy." He turned back to Crabbe and Goyle and particularly at Goyle. "Why are you wearing glasses?"

"Uh, reading…" Harry said quickly taking them off. "Reading glasses."

Malfoy looked at him a little agape. "I didn't know you could read." Harry nodded. And Malfoy gave a look that he was actually impressed and turned to Percy. "What are you doing down here, Weasley?"

"Mind your attitude, Malfoy." He said.

"Come on." Draco said to the three of them. Erin latched onto his arm and he looked pleasantly surprised. He led them along to the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room, a blank wall with torches on either side. "What's the new password again?"

Erin, as Pansy, giggled as if it was funny and he gave her a smirk. Harry and Ron looked at each other. "Uh…"

"Nevermind." Malfoy said lazily. "Pureblood."

The wall opened and Malfoy led the way. Erin sat down on one of the leather couches away from the others and gave Malfoy an inviting look. It was certainly a good thing Erin could act. Even Harry and Ron were surprised at how well she was doing; normally she would have punched him out by now. Malfoy sprawled out on the couch with his head in 'Pansy's' lap. Erin reached down and stroked his hair pretending all the while he was Harry. "Well, sit down." Malfoy said to Harry and Ron. When they did, sitting on an opposite couch he continued. "Did you hear? Arthur Weasley was fined today because of that car that Potter and Weasley drove to school at the beginning of the year."

"No…" Erin simpered. "How much was he fined?"

"50 Galleons, a bit low in my opinion and Father's, but they don't send people to Azkaban for bewitching a car."

"Too bad, maybe next time, Draco."

"Father is calling for his resignation, I don't know if it will happen though." Malfoy drawled his eyes closed.

"Don't worry, love, the Weasley's will get what's coming to them." Malfoy smirked as he heard this and Erin looked up winking at Ron. He instantly calmed down and got the bewildered look off his face.

"You'd never know the Weasley's were pure-bloods." Malfoy continued. "Not with the way they behave. They're an embarrassment to the Wizarding world, all of them." Ron's face contorted in rage.

"What about Erin, Draco?"

"She's a special case, as you already know, Pansy, you know what she is…" Draco shook his head a little. "Father says just to keep my head down when it comes to her."

"You don't like her do you?" 'Pansy' asked anxiously.

Malfoy gave a dry laugh. "Not remotely." He seemed to think it was funny that she was jealous. "She's my cousin, after all. Yes, she has the pureblood looks from her family, but there's nothing there, really. I don't know why Blaise is so into her."

"Hmmm." Erin said.

"You know I'm surprised the Daily Prophet hasn't gotten wind of all these attacks, probably Dumbledore hushing it all up, as usual. Father always said that Dumbledore is the worst thing that ever happened to this school."

"You're wrong!" Harry suddenly burst out. Erin shot him a look, but it was too later.

Malfoy sat up and glared at him. "What?" He looked angry. "You think there's someone here that's worse than Dumbledore? Do you?"

Harry swallowed. "Harry Potter?"

Malfoy looked at him for a moment and then smirked. "Good one, Goyle. Saint Potter, the Mud-blood's friend. And people actually think he's the Heir of Slytherin?"

Erin took Malfoy's arm. "Calm down." She said putting her hand on his face. "You know you shouldn't get so worked up about him."

Malfoy turned to her and then very suddenly kissed her, his arms going around her waist. Oh, it was a good thing that she was such a good actress. She giggled and kissed him back, all the while fighting the impulse to throw up. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ron and Harry look absolutely disgusted and surprised. Erin pushed him back giggling. "_They're_ watching."

"So?" Malfoy said. "They don't care."

"You must have some idea who's behind it all." Harry suddenly asked.

"Behind what?" Malfoy asked looking at him, his arms still firmly around Erin. "Oh, the Heir of Slytherin." He sighed. "You know I don't, I told you yesterday. Father won't tell me much, but he did tell me this much…" His voice dropped to a conspiratorial level. "The last time the Chamber was opened a Mudblood died, this time I hope it's Granger." He turned back to Erin kissing her again. He didn't see that Ron was restraining Harry.

"D'you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?" Ron asked eagerly.

Malfoy sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes!" He snapped. "Whoever it was was expelled. They're probably still in Azkaban."

"Azkaban?" Harry asked.

"The Wizard Prison, Goyle." Erin said.

"Honestly," Malfoy said. "Can you get any stupider?" But Malfoy seemed preoccupied.

"What's the matter, Draco?" Erin asked. "You look like you have something on your mind." She whispered drawing a hand through his hair.

Malfoy sighed. "They raided our manor last week."

All them managed to put their faces into looks of concern. "Oh, how awful!" Erin said. "They didn't find anything, did they?"

"No." He sighed. "Father's got some very valuable Dark Arts stuff, though, luckily we've got our own secret chamber underneath the drawing-room floor…"

"And just when I am going to see your drawing-room, Draco?" Erin asked with big eyes.

He looked at her up and down for a moment. "How many times do I have to tell you that I haven't told Mother and Father about you yet? As soon as I tell them you can come over and they can meet you. They already know your parents, it shouldn't me too much trouble, but I want to keep you to myself for now."

Erin sighed dramatically. "Ok, Draco, you can have me all to yourself…" She grinned and giggled.

Harry was trying to get her attention. Oh, no, an hour must be up. "All to myself…" Draco said closing his eyes.

"Draco, I have an idea…" Erin said and then whispered something in his ear.

Malfoy's eyes grew huge and then he nodded. "Ok, let me just go tell Zabini and Nott."

"I'll be waiting." She said, and as soon as he was gone, the three of them launching themselves from the couches and out of the common room.

"You are a genius!" Ron said.

"What did you tell him?" Harry asked as they ran along the corridors.

Erin grinned. "I told him that if he got rid of Nott and Zabini in his dorm tonight that 'Pansy' would go up there and snog with him."

Ron laughed. "Pansy is in for a surprise."

"Yup." Erin said. "Oh, god, I need some mouthwash and my toothbrush."

"It's a good thing you were Pansy." Ron said still laughing. "Hermione would have beaten him senseless."

"I was about to." Erin confided. "I have no idea how I pulled that off."

They turned a corner and (they were only half-changed back) they ran into Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy. They all stared at each other for a moment and then Harry, Ron and Erin ran for it. The other three stood there stunned and then Pansy must have thought it was there imaginations so she went back to yelling at Crabbe and Goyle for luring her into a broom closet and she was going to be telling Malfoy what despicable cretins they were.

By the time they reached the bathroom they were their old selves again. "Hermione! Come out, we've got loads to tell you!" Harry said knocking on the stall door.

"Go away!" Hermione cried out.

"Wait till you see!" Myrtle appeared through the stall door. "It's awful."

"Hermione?" Harry asked pushing the door open. "Are you ok?"

Erin and Ron's jaws dropped. Hermione stood with her back to them, but they could see a long black tail coming out of her robes. "Didn't I tell you that the Polyjuice Potion was just for human transformations?" She turned. "Look at my face." She had turned into a huge cat complete with ears.

"Look at your tail." Ron said laughing and Myrtle was behind them giggling happily.

Harry had since put his glasses back on so he could see what was going on. He looked just as stunned. "OK," Harry said. "We should get you to the hospital wing."

Hermione didn't argue. Erin put her arm around the girl and whispered. "I'm sorry, but this is what you'd call ironic, isn't it?"

Neither of the girls' had mentioned that Hermione could now turn into a cat as an Animagus.


	15. Chapter 15

Page 4 of 4

Part 15

"Erin!" The girl turned as she heard Harry calling her. "Erin!" Harry drew up next to her; it looked like he had run down the hallway to catch up with her.

"What's up?" Erin asked as they walked along.

"Ron and I just went to see Hermione and do you know about that card Lockhart sent her?" Harry asked looking absolutely appalled.

The black-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Yes, unfortunately. She sleeps with it under her pillow. Sheesh, you'll never see me that hung up over a teacher."

Harry smirked. "Ok, Erin, come on, who do you have a crush on? Hermione has been skirting around it all year."

Erin went red. "I'm not telling you!" She looked away from him. Man, it was probably obvious to everyone _but_ him. She had harbored that not-so-secret crush on him for a year and a half now. Well, only Hermione, Ron and Ginny knew about it…and they hadn't told…well, she had a feeling that other people knew even if she had never said anything. Some people assumed, of course, with that article in the Evening Prophet, but they didn't know about her crush.

"Erin, come on! I'm your friend! You can tell me! It's Ron, isn't it?"

"Ick, no!" Erin exclaimed sticking out her tongue. "Never in a million years would I have a crush on Ron."

"Neville, then." Harry guessed.

"No, it's not Neville, though better Neville than Ron."

"Hmmm…Oliver?"

"No, not Oliver. Harry, I'm not going to tell you."

"What are you two talking about?" Ron asked suddenly appearing on Erin's other side.

"I've been trying to guess who Erin has a crush on." Harry explained.

Ron snorted. "Harry, you'll never guess and she won't tell you."

"You're not telling either, Ronald." Erin said warningly.

"Ok, ok." Ron laughed. "So, Harry, have you told her yet?"

"Not yet, I got sidetracked." He looked around to see if anyone was listening and then continued. "After Ron and I visited Hermione we noticed that Myrtle had flooded the bathroom again, so we went to check it out. What we found was a diary that someone had tried to get rid of. But it's blank, nothing in it."

"Do you have it with you?" Erin asked.

"Yeah," He said taking it out and handing it to the girl.

Erin looked at it carefully and then took out her wand. She didn't say anything but she tapped it a few times. "Nope, I guess there isn't anything written in it. " She handed it back to him.

It was a few days later and Hermione was out of the hospital wing when they walked into the Great Hall for breakfast and found pink everywhere. "This is not happening." Erin said.

"Oh, it's so pretty!" Lavender squealed behind them. "What lovely decorations for Valentine's Day!"

Hermione was radiant as they sat down at the Gryffindor Table. Erin reached for some orange juice and poured herself a glass just as pink confetti started falling from the ceiling. She sighed and took out her wand in a moment there was a clear space around them free of confetti and the stuff coming down shifted off to the sides. "HEY!"

"Sorry, Seamus." Erin said. "I guess you have to figure out the counter-spell to stop it."

He raised an eyebrow at her in confusion, he was positive they hadn't learned anything like that in class. "Nice, Erin." Hermione said. "Confuse the boys."

"It's what she's good at." Ron said looking sour and sick at all the pink around them.

"Attention everyone! Attention!" Lockhart was standing up at the head table and waving his arms around. Erin couldn't believe her eyes. Lockhart was wearing _pink_ robes.

"Harry, tell me I'm seeing things." She said.

"I wish I could." He said just as surprised and horror-struck. "I didn't even know they made pink robes for men."

"You'd be surprised." Erin said rolling her eyes. "But, yes, I don't fancy seeing Lockhart in colored robes."

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have already sent me valentines!" He beamed.

"No, I did not." Erin said after a look from Ron.

Then the three of them looked at Hermione. She looked calm and disinterested. "Hermione," Harry said, "Please tell me you were not one of the forty-six."

"Shh, I'm trying to listen." She said.

"I have taken the liberty of this little surprise! And it doesn't end here!" He clapped his hands and in marched about a dozen dwarves in diapers…and wielding bows and arrows. "My cupids! Just give them a card and they will deliver it!" He smiled wider. "And the fun doesn't stop there! Why not ask Professor Snape to help you whip up a love potion? And how about Professor Flitwick! He knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met! The sly, old dog!"

"Flitwick needs a hug." Erin said as the little wizard buried his face in his hands. Snape just looked like the first one to ask him about a love potion would be force-fed poison.

At lunchtime Erin made sure no one was looking and she cornered a dwarf. She dragged it into a private place making sure no one was watching. "Ok, I have a deliver that I want you to make in private, got it?"

"Whateva ya say, miss." He said looking bored and rolling his eyes.

"Good, because I am going to make it worth your while."

"How?" He asked suddenly interested.

Erin held up a small velvety red pouch. "I have a little something known as a small vial of Paradoxie in here."

The dwarf's eyes went round. "Good stuff?"

"The best. I made it myself." She said. "Now, here's what you are going to do. You will get the vial after you perform the service."

He nodded eagerly. "Yes, miss."

Erin was walking along with Harry when a dwarf, luckily not the one she hired, stopped Harry in the hall. "Oy, Harry Potter! I got a musical valentine for yeh!"

"Not here!" Harry said trying to get away.

"Stay still!" The dwarf said grabbing Harry's bag.

"Let go!" Harry insisted, the bag ripped in two spilling ink, parchment and books. Harry tried to pick everything up and the dwarf took the opportunity to grab Harry around the ankles.

"Now stay!" The dwarf said. "Here is your singing valentine: _His eyes are as green as a fresh picked toad, His hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he was mine, he's really divine, The hero who conquered the Dark Lord!_"

Erin tried not to laugh at that, but she couldn't help it. Harry was finally allowed up and the crowd dispersed. "Erin, that was humiliating."

Erin just grinned. "Well, at least it was you and not—"

"Erin Lyancomp!"

"Oh no!" Erin yelled and ran for it.

"Hold on, you!" The dwarf actually got a hold around her knees causing her to fall to the floor.

"No!" She pleaded.

"Stay still!" He said and then he emptied his bag right on top of the poor girl.

"Do you have to do that to get mine?" She asked.

"They are all yours." He said.

"WHAT?" She went so bright red. "Ron, I'm going to kill you."

"I only sent you one." He said coming up. "I didn't have time to do all that. And if I did I wouldn't have the energy, there has to be fifty of them there."

Erin quickly counted. "46." She moaned and then stuffed them all in her bag. She noticed it was just the three of them left in the corridor. Class had already started.

"Harry Potter!" It was the dwarf she had commissioned!

"What now?" Harry asked helping Erin up.

"This is private enough, I reckon." He said. "I have been specially sent to give you a valentine in private."

"Private?" Ron snorted.

_The dwarf ignored them and cleared his throat. "A poem written by the one who loves you…" Harry looked bewildered. "Sometimes late at night I go outside and look up at the sky. I don't want to give up this fight, but I question and just ask why, why am I not granted this light? The stars twinkle and shine as my heart just breaks again. Can't I be shown just one sign? Is this just another thing the fates ordain? Why can't I have what's mine? I can't help the tears as they fall from my eyes, the pain in my heart just sears and it feels like my soul just dies. I just want to stop these fears. I whisper his name to the night. I just want to shriek and yell to the sky, to rage and claw and fight. Don't ask me or my heart why, don't question the darkness turned to light. I watch in wonder at the stars that shine waiting for the sign to come again. If it came, then what is this sign? Can I trust my heart to know and ordain the man I feel by right is mine? So again they fall in torrents, my tears, again I question what is before my eyes._

"_I do not question the pain that sears and makes me wish for the heart that dies, because it is to my mind that fear. I fear the coming of the night; I dread the watching of the sky for the one I would gladly lay aside the fight and not question with the why, just to feel in my soul the unquenchable light. I lie in bed staring at the ceiling his face fills my mind. I can't stop this feeling I just want to die and peace find. How can a heart so broken ever find healing? These walls have ears and what stories they would recount if they had mouths and tears. The words I whisper to the night in great amount, I curse and I love and it hears. I wonder why I stay and do not leave, why I cannot give up the fight in me and to this hope I so desperately cleave. For my heart longs for his face to see, leaving me no longer to grieve. The lights play across the ceiling, the shapes enter my mind I see images of us, loving, feeling. It is hard for me to find the way to start healing. I think I hear his breathing in my ears for I heard it more times than to recount. So once again my eyes fill with tears though I ask to what does this amount? Is it possible that he hears? In the night I imagine him there, but he leaves, I talk to him and him to me and to this wise I desperately cleave to have my dreams someday to see and my heart no more to grieve. I lie here and stare at the ceiling as the images fill my mind. And for him my heart has this feeling. Someday I hope to know and find and in his embrace find healing. For his voice to reach my ears and his love and endearment recount and from my eyes not sorrow, but joyful tears. All the years and all the pain to have no amount of the wonder and love he hears._"

Harry stared in shock. "Is this a joke?"

"No joke, boy." The dwarf said and turned leaving them there.

"Let's get to class." Erin said cheerfully, though Harry still had a look of pure amazement on his face.


	16. Chapter 16

Page 2 of 2

Part 16 

Harry calling up the girls' dorm stairs at them waked Erin and Hermione out of a deep sleep and they decided they had better answer him before he woke the entire house up. "Hold your horses, Harry." Erin called down sleepily. "We'll be down in a second."

So yawning and leaning against each other to stay upright the girls' went down into the common room where Ron was snoozing on a chair. Erin fell on the couch curling up into the corner while Hermione took the chair beside her. Harry was pacing in front of the fire. "It was Hagrid, Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets 50 years ago."

"Harry, I certainly hope that this is a joke." Erin said. "Hagrid? Our friend, Hagrid? You can't be serious."

"The boy in the diary, Tom Riddle showed me it, Erin."

"What did he show you?"

"He brought me into the diary and he was waiting on the stairs seeing someone brought down underneath a blanket, I think they were dead. Then Dumbledore came and asked him what he was doing there. He told him that he had to see if the rumors were true and he didn't have a home to go to if they closed Hogwarts. Dumbledore told him to go off to bed because it wasn't safe to be wandering at that time of night. Instead he led me down to the dungeons and he confronted Hagrid. Hagrid had a spider kept in a box and Riddle captured him."

Erin sighed. "OK, Harry, for one, you're taking the word of someone you don't even know over Hagrid. That's pretty suspicious. Two, Tom Riddle may have had the wrong man and three, how big was this spider?"

"About the size of one of Hagrid's hands." Harry said.

She shook her head. "Harry, spiders don't petrify people."

"Erin, how many monsters can be in this school?" He argued.

"Harry!" Erin said louder to get his attention as he had begun ranting. "Hagrid is our friend, he would never attack someone that was a Mudblood! He would never do that! And if he knew of someone that did that he wouldn't sit idly by and let them! I thought you knew Hagrid better than that!"

The next day they were still arguing about it. "Look, Hagrid's our friend." Hermione said. "Why don't we just go ask him about it?"

"It's not Hagrid, Hermione." Erin was getting frustrated and snapping at people now. "We know Hagrid! He would never do this!"

"Yes, that will be a cheerful visit." Ron said ignoring Erin. "Hello, Hagrid, tell us have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose on the castle lately?"

"Mad and Hairy? You wouldn't be talking about me now would ya?"

They turned to see Hagrid standing there. "No." Harry, Ron and Hermione said quickly.

"Yes." Erin said.

Hagrid looked at them a little confused. "Uh, what's that you have, Hagrid?" Harry asked.

"Oh," The man said holding up a jar. "Flesh-eating slug repellant, for the mandrakes. Professor Sprout says they still have a bit of growin' up to do, but pretty soon they'll be ready for stewin' and we'll get the people up there unpetrified. Now you four had better be watchin' out for yehselves, all right?"

"All right." Erin said. "Oh, and Hagrid…" Erin paused biting her lip.

"Yes, Erin?" He asked.

"I know you'd never hurt anyone."

He looked a little taken aback, but then he smiled and got teary eyed. "Thank you." He said and turned wiping his eyes on the back of his huge hand. "Hello, Neville."

Neville had run into the yard breathless. "Harry, I don't know who did it, but you'd better come."

They all ran after Neville, who led them back to the Tower and up to their room. The room was in shambles. All of Harry's stuff was on the floor, the pillows were ripped open, and things were broken. "It had to be a Gryffindor, no one else knows the password." Hermione said.

"That doesn't make it any better." Erin said.

"They must have been looking for something." Ron said.

"And they found it." Harry looked up at them from the mess. "Tom Riddle's diary is gone."

"Ok, Harry, put everything down." Erin said and she flicked her wand. Everything flew back to the way it was, she even got the ink off the floor and back into the pot.

"Thanks." Harry said. "What are we going to do?"


	17. Chapter 17

Page 8 of 8

Part 17 

The day was bright and clear, there were a few clouds in the sky and the ground was hard, but not too hard. It was the perfect weather for a Quidditch Match and Harry was happy to be playing. It should turn out to be a very exciting match indeed.

The entire castle was on their way down the Quidditch pitch, Ron, Erin and Hermione among them, when Hermione suddenly stopped. "Oh my goodness! I just thought of something! Give me five minutes in the library!"

"Hermione, wait!" Erin said. "What have you figured out?"

"Harry is a Parselmouth!" She said excitedly and then ran from them.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron asked.

"I think she figured something out, but I don't know what." Erin said shrugging. "She'll tell us at the stadium. Hey, Neville, how about a ride?"

The plump boy looked confused for a moment he looked back at them. And then he laughed. "Sure, hop on." He said.

Erin hopped onto the boy's back and Ron shook his head laughing. "Want to sit with us, Neville?"

"Love to." He said grinning. He like Erin and Ron, he liked Harry and Hermione too. He knew he wasn't officially part of their little group, but he took whatever he could get. They were all nice and friendly to him, and Erin and Hermione were always helping him out in class. They were good friends and very loyal to each other. Neville knew that they would never be mean to him for anything and they would always stand up for him… they were his friends, some of his only friends.

By the time the three of them got to the stands they were giggling and laughing. "It's a good thing Erin isn't heavy at all." Neville said. "Surprising with the way she eats."

"Fast metabolism." Erin said automatically. "I'm just too active. Way too active most of the time."

"She's right." Ron told Neville. "Erin just doesn't stop most of the time."

"The match should be starting any moment." Erin said.

"Attention!" The turned to see Lee at his spot in the teacher's stand prepared to commentate. "This match has been cancelled. You are all to return to your House Common Room immediately.

The three of them looked at each other. "What could have happened?" Ron asked as they made there was down the stairs in the parapet.

"I don't know." Erin shrugged. "You don't think there's been another attack?"

"I am afraid there has been." They looked up as they came out of the entrance and prepared to join the throng. They found McGonagall and Harry there. "Would you two come with me, please? Neville, please walk back with Fred and George."

They noticed that Fred and George were walking behind them looking, for once, very subdued. Fred reached out his hand and took Neville by the arm. "Come on, let's go." Neville went with them glad he had someone to walk with.

Ron and Erin followed McGonagall and Harry. "Professor, you can't possibly thing that Erin or I had anything to do with this." Harry was saying.

"No, Potter, I am afraid there is no doubt that you didn't, you both were here at the time and well, I won't say anymore. We're going to the Hospital Wing."

The three students looked at each other wonderingly. They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they went in McGonagall stopped them "This will be a shock." Then she stepped back and they saw Hermione lying on a bed…petrified.

"Hermione!" Erin gasped out and hurried over to her side. Ron and Harry were quick to follow looking shaken and dumbfounded.

"She was found outside of the library. Can any of you explain this?" McGonagall held up a mirror. "It was found beside her and another girl that we also found."

Harry and Ron both said no, but Erin was looking at the mirror as if she was trying to figure it out. "Hermione said that she had figured something out, Professor and that she needed five minutes in the library to make sure of it…"

McGonagall nodded. "Thank you, Miss Lyancomp…well, if that's all I will escort you back to the Common Room. I have to address the House as it is."

They followed her back and found the entire House waiting for them. Erin sat down in an available chair and Harry and Ron sat down on either side of her on the arms. "All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock every the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. A teacher will escort you to each lesson. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities." McGonagall rolled up the parchment she had been reading from. "I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will close if the perpetrator is not caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward." When no one said anything she left.

Lee Jordan sighed. "That's two Gryffindors, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff." He said bitterly. "Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin? All they seem to do is concentrate on Harry and Erin, when it's obvious the two of them have just been in the wrong spots and the wrong time. It's preposterous to even suspect them of anything like that!" He was working himself up now. "Why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?"

Most people cheered, but the three of them noticed Percy did not look so good and he wasn't even paying attention. Fred leaned over. "That other girl, that was attacked, Penelope Clearwater, she was a prefect. I think Percy knew her pretty well and I don't think he even thought that the monster would attack a prefect. The thing is, Penelope is a pureblood…it looks like the monster may have been after Hermione and Penelope was just caught in the fire."

It made sense. After that Erin followed Harry and Ron up to their dorm. "What're we going to do?" Ron asked flopping back on his bed. Erin sat down on Harry's pulling up knees to her chest. Harry was pacing the floor. "Do you think they suspect Hagrid?"

"Probably." Erin snorted letting her legs fall back to the floor. "Hagrid was convicted of the crime 50 years ago, so it's obvious they suspect him now." After all their talks they had figured out that Hagrid must have been convicted, and Erin had found old Daily Prophets which mentioned that Hagrid had been expelled from Hogwarts and spent 3 years in Azkaban. "It won't help though! Doing anything to Hagrid, he's not behind the attacks!"

"Erin, you don't know that!" Ron said.

"Stop it, you two." Harry said finally speaking. "We've got to go talk to him. I know you don't think he did it, Erin, but he's the only chance we've got. If…if he as let the monster loose then he'll know how to get inside the Chamber and that's a start."

"But McGonagall said to stay in the tower…" Ron said.

"I think it's time to get my dad's cloak out again." Harry turned to Erin. "It's probably better for you to be invisible, just this once."

Erin grinned a little. Last year Harry had caught that she had been throwing things on the floor on purpose just to see him bend over. He didn't know about the bending over part, but he had figured out that she was doing it on purpose and told her to stop going invisible. She had…and now she sighed and went invisible.

Ron and Harry disappeared under the cloak and the three of them left the tower.

Erin knocked on Hagrid's door. "Who's there?" They heard called from inside. "Who is it?" He opened the door wielding a crossbow. "Who's there?"

Harry and Ron threw off the cloak. "What's that for?" Ron asked.

"Oh, nothing, I just thought you were…well, nevermind, come in, come in…" He put the crossbow down and let them in.

When Erin was in the room she sat down, forgetting that she was invisible. "Did you hear about Hermione?" Erin asked.

Hagrid looked around. "Oh, Erin, don't do that to me." He muttered. "Come out."

"Oh, sorry." Erin said becoming visible again. "I forgot."

Hagrid nodded. "Yes, I heard about that all right."

"Hagrid…" Harry said hesitantly. "Do you know about the Chamber of Secrets?"

Hagrid sighed and Erin suddenly spoke. "Hagrid, I know you don't have anything to do with that! I don't care what people say, you wouldn't attack a student or allow any creature to either!"

Big tears welled up in the giant man's eyes. "Erin, what would I do without yeh?" He smiled fondly at her and then cleared his throat and wiped his eyes with the back of his huge hand.

"Hagrid." Harry said. "Do you know who opened the Chamber of Secrets?"

Hagrid sighed. "Now, what you have to understand about that is—"

"We know it wasn't you, Hagrid, but you were here when it was opened before." Erin said.

Again Hagrid smiled at her, Erin was loyal to him and it felt good to have someone like her believe in him. "Anyone would be lucky to have friends like yeh three. Now, Harry, fifty years ago—" There was a knock on the door. "Just a minute!" Hagrid called out. "Under the cloak, Erin invisible!"

They all hurried to do what Hagrid told them to do and then he opened the door with his crossbow in hand. "Professor Dumbledore."

From her vantage point Erin could see not only Dumbledore, but also another man, that she knew all too well, Cornelius Fudge, the weakest Minister of Magic ever to 'grace' the office. "Good evening, Hagrid, may we come in?"

"Of course, of course." Hagrid said letting them in.

"Bad business, Hagrid." Fudge said taking off his green bowler hat and twisting it around in his hands. "Four attacks on Muggle-borns…"

"No, Fudge." Dumbledore said. "There has been three attacks on Muggle-borns, one on a Squib's cat and one on a pureblood."

Fudge nodded. "Yes, of course. Thing's have gone far enough, though, Hagrid and we've got to act."

"I never!" Hagrid said. "Professor, you know I never…"

"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence in this…"

"Look, Albus, Hagrid's record is against him. We got to do something…and it's only for a while…if Hagrid proves to be innocent we will let him go with a full pardon."

Yeah right, Erin thought to herself, were they going to give him back his wand? Were they going to make up fifty years of never being a full wizard? She was incensed at what Fudge thought he could do and not do. They had the wrong man; there was no way around it.

"Taking Hagrid will do nothing!" Dumbledore argued.

"Look at it from my point of view," Fudge said still nervous. "I'm under a lot of pressure, got to be seen doing something…if it turns out it wasn't Hagrid he'll be back and no more said, but I've got to take him."

"Take me where?" Hagrid roared. "Not Azkaban prison!"

No…Erin thought, not Azkaban…the place gave her nightmares, what went on there…the Dementors, evil and sucking up all the happiness…what that could do to an innocent man…

There was another knock on the door. Dumbledore answered it. "Lucius."

"Headmaster." He said and saw Fudge. "Already here, Fudge? Good, good."

"What're you doin' 'ere? Get out of me house!" He said looking at Lucius Malfoy with contempt as he strode in.

"My dear man, believe me, I offer no pleasure at being…you call this a house? Hmmm. No I simply called in at the school and was told the headmaster was here." He turned back to the three men. "I hold here an Order of Suspension."

"What? No." Fudge said. "Dumbledore suspended is the last thing we want."

Dumbledore held up his hand to the Minister and took the parchment that Lucius was holding out to him. He opened it. "You'll find all twelve signatures."

"Yeh can't do that!" Hagrid burst out.

"Hagrid!" Dumbledore warned.

"No! If Dumbledore leaves the school there will be killin' next, you mark my words! Dumbledore is the only chance these kids have! The only thing standing between them and death!"

"Hagrid!" Dumbledore warned even more explicitly. "Calm yourself. If the governors want my removal, then I shall of course stand aside…"

"Dumbledore!" Fudge couldn't believe his ears.

"No!" Hagrid shouted.

"However," Dumbledore said. "You will find that I will only have truly left this school when none here are loyal to me. Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who seek it." He looked pointedly over to the corner where Harry and Ron were under the invisibility cloak and then his eyes flicked to the girl standing behind a chair watching him with calm eyes.

Lucius looked around wondering whom he was talking to. "Admirable sentiments."

Lucius and Dumbledore left. "Come on, Hagrid." Fudge said.

Hagrid stayed for a moment bouncing a little on the balls of his feet. "If anyone wanted to find out some stuff all they would have to do is follow the spiders. Yes, that would set them right." He said and went past Fudge, who looked downright dumbfounded. "Oh, and someone will have to feed Fang while I'm away."

Fudge looked around and then looked at Fang, who had remained motionless in a chair. "Good dog." He left closing the door.

The three became visible again. "Hagrid's right." Harry said. "Taking Dumbledore away and they'll be an attack a day." He sighed frustrated. "And then Hagrid too. What are we going to do?"

"Follow the spiders." Erin said as they left Hagrid's cabin. Fang followed them looking lost. Erin put a comforting hand to the gray dogs head.

"Hey look." Harry said. There, on the ground, was a line of spiders going towards the Forbidden Forest. "Let's go."

"What?" Ron said. "They're going into the Forest!"

"So?" Erin asked wondering what was going on with Ron.

"Spiders." Ron said. "Why couldn't it be follow the butterflies?"

"Wait a minute…" Erin said thinking. "Spiders…they were leaving the castle the night Justin and Nick were attacked…She couldn't quite remember…there was something… something Hermione figured out…_Spiders flee before it…_

"Erin?" The girl looked up at her friend. "Erin, are you all right, what is it?"

She looked at Harry; he looked so concerned, "Nothing…" She said shaking her head. "I thought…no, it's gone, I was thinking about something and no…" She said shaking her head. "I thought I was getting something, but I can't remember."

She didn't say anymore and Harry led them into the forest following the spiders. They didn't speak for a long time; they just followed the line of creeping black things on the forest floor. "I don't want to go in there." Ron muttered.

They had come to a place that was a natural tunnel under a very large tree. "Let's go." Harry said. Erin followed not saying a word, she was trying to get back the train of thought she had back at the hut, she couldn't though and it was annoying the heck out of her.

They emerged from the tunnel and Erin's eyes widened. "Uh, Harry…I really don't think we should be here…" All around them was spider's web and Erin didn't think all these tiny spiders made it.

"Who's there?" A deep voice asked and Erin backed up a little. She wasn't afraid exactly, but it sounded big. Long thin legs appeared over a small hill or something…or as Erin thought…a burrow…a burrow for a creature to sleep in and it was huge. Milky white eyes appeared. It was blind… "Who's there? Hagrid, is that you?"

"We're friends of Hagrid." Harry said. "There's been trouble, up at the school."

"Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before…" The acromantula said.

"Hagrid has been sent to Azkaban." Erin said.

"What?" The spider sounded afraid and angry. "Why? Why have they sent him there again?"

"There have been attacks up at the school, again." Erin said. "The monster has been released from the Chamber once more and they think Hagrid set it loose, like last time."

"That's a lie." The old spider said. "He never set loose the monster. It is something we spiders fear more than anything. They believed I was the monster, but you know I am not."

"Yes, I know." Erin said. "The monster petrifies people, you don't have that power. You would just eat them."

"Harry…"

"Quiet, Ron."

"Yes, it is true. I was not born in the castle; I came to Hagrid in the pocket of a trader. He raised me and I never saw any part of the castle except the closet where he kept me…until the night that awful boy tried to kill me…then Hagrid smuggled me out and brought me here, he even found me a mate."

"You're Aragog, then." Harry said.

"Yes."

"You never harmed anyone then?" Harry asked.

"Never, I have never tasted human flesh, it would have been my instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never attacked a human, never. The body of the girl was found in a bathroom, as I have said, I never saw any other part of the castle until after she died."

"What did kill the girl?" Erin asked. She knew it, in the back of her mind, but she couldn't remember, something was nagging at her.

"Harry…" Ron tugged on Harry's sleeve.

"Shoosh." Harry said listening.

"We do not speak its name. It is an ancient creature that we spiders fear above all others."

"What is it?" Harry asked eagerly.

"We do not speak of it!" Aragog repeated adamantly. "I never even told Hagrid its name, though he asked many times."

"Harry…"

"What?" Harry asked.

Ron pointed up looking like he had peed his pants about five times already. Harry and Erin looked up and saw about a hundred of the huge acromantulas coming down out of the huge trees. "Right," Erin said. "We'll just go now."

"Go?" Aragog said. "I think not. My sons and daughter do not harm Hagrid upon my request, but I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Goodbye, friends of Hagrid."

"He is so not going to be happy with you when he gets out of Azkaban." Erin said scathingly to the spider.

"Arana exume!" Harry cried out and a spider was blasted back from them.

The hulking beasts were coming closer. Erin were blasting them back, never saying a word and Ron and Fang were crying and shouting…or in Fang's case, barking.

Suddenly a huge shape came out of the darkness, two bright lights coming from it. It landed ramming into many of the spiders. "Harry, it's the car! The forest has turned it wild."

"Get in!" Erin said pushing the Fang and Ron into the car. She got in herself and had Fang huddling next to her in the backseat.

The car shut the doors after them and Ron drove them out of there knocking spiders left and right. The car stopped outside of the hollow and they breathed a sigh of relief, until Ron screamed. They whirled towards him. He sat there with a spider and its legs wrapped around the poor boys neck trying to drag him out of the car. "Get out of the way!" Harry yelled. Ron moved his head. "Arana exume!"

The spider flew back. "Thanks for that." Ron said.

"Don't mention it."

Ron put the car into gear and pressed the gas. "Get the car up!" Erin shouted using her wand out of the broken out back window. "RON!"

Harry put his hand over Ron's, which was trying to push the gearshift into the right place and the two of them managed to wrench it into place. The car flew up just in time clearing the trees surrounding the spider's hollow. They knocked into a few and Erin was breathing a sigh of relief. All of them had come over the hill following them. "Oh, I can't believe we got out of that."

The car took them just past the edge of the forest outside of Hagrid's hut. It opened the doors and they got out, before it trundled its way back into the forest. Ron groaned. "Follow the spiders! Follow the spiders! If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban I'll kill him! What did we find out?"

"Well, now we know for certain Hagrid is innocent." Harry said.

Erin snorted. "Nice to have you on my side, finally"

"Look, Erin, I'm sorry, ok?" Harry said. "I know I shouldn't have doubted Hagrid, but well…"

"Harry, you listened to a boy in a diary from 50 years ago! A boy that you don't know! A boy that could have been lying! A boy that for all we know could have been the Heir of Slytherin himself! And just fingered Hagrid to keep the blame off himself!"

"Yeah, I know." He said sighing. "I screwed up, but I'm sorry."

"Oh, Erin, just forgive him!" Ron said. "If you don't he'll moping around until you do and I really don't want to see that."

"Ok," she sighed. "I forgive you."


	18. Chapter 18

Page 4 of 4

Part 18

"Ok, Erin, you've been on top of things. Explain." Harry said the moment they holed up in the empty common room (everyone else was now in bed).

"All right, Harry." Erin said curling up in her favorite chair. "In the beginning it was all about you and hearing this voice no one else could hear…and because of it we found out about Mrs. Norris being petrified and the Chamber being opened. And then Colin was petrified coming up to the Hospital Wing to see you. And then we found Justin and Nearly Headless Nick—"

"Erin, I didn't tell you something…uh, two something's…I was trying to ignore everything, but I realize I can't now." He said. "While I was talking to Dobby I heard the voice again, I thought I was going crazy and then when we were talking I was ignoring it again." He sighed. "He shouldn't have, but I was."

Erin's eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh, my goodness. I need to get to the library as soon as possible tomorrow."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Because I think I know what Hermione was looking up! It all makes sense! Or it will! Harry, maybe only you can hear the creature, and maybe that's because the creature is a snake!"

With Erin's sudden revelation everything was starting to make sense. During the next few weeks it was getting harder and harder to do anything though. Erin did manage to get to the library once when she begged Professor McGonagall to let her go. She had sent her with Donovan, who was visiting his mum. Erin felt she could confide in Donovan and she told him everything. He listened to her with rapt attention as she told him about her suspicions. When she was done and she was looking in a book he said, "Erin, just be careful, Mother has told me a lot about what the four of you have gone through." He looked a little unsure of himself. "Erin, there is something that I wanted to tell you…"

"What's that?" She asked.

"Have you noticed that we look alike?"

"A little, yeah." Erin said unconcerned. "About as much as Harry and I look alike, I guess. The black hair and shape face…the thing is there is something that I wanted to tell you—"

"Oh, I found it!" Erin said suddenly. "I was right. Look Hermione left me a clue, just in case!" She showed him the little mark on the page, the mark of two triangle ears and an 'S' tail. It was Hermione's mark. "I have to go see Hermione, would you mind?"

"Not at all." He said smiling a little. "Should we stop by the tower and pick up Harry and Ron?"

"That's would be great." She smiled at him and he smiled back an identical smile.

They sat next to Hermione. "We need your help." Harry whispered to her. "We really need your help."

"Hermione, I found your mark, I know you were trying to tell me something. What were you trying to tell me, Hon? I have figured out that it's a snake and that that is what the creature is…but you took the one thing I had to go on…"

"Erin, look…" Harry had been looking at Hermione's hand and found a wad of paper.

"Don, keep a look-out." Erin said. And the young man chuckled turning from them.

"We need him around more often." Ron said.

That caused quite a chuckle from Donovan. Harry managed to pry the paper from Hermione's hand. "Got it!" He whispered.

They got out of there and Donovan was right behind them. "Erin, what does it say?" Harry asked (he had given the girl the paper).

"It's a Basilisk, king of the serpents. It's hatched underneath a toad. Only the cock's crow is fatal to it. Don't you remember when Hagrid came into Dumbledore's office swearing it wasn't us? He had a dead chicken in his hand. Something has been killing the Hogwarts chickens. Spiders flee before it…I knew I read that somewhere before!" She said. "The creature in the Chamber is a Basilisk! That's why Harry can hear it and no one else."

"But if it is a basilisk…" Ron said. "How's it getting around? Someone would notice a snake of that size around here…"

"Hermione answered that too…" Erin said showing them the paper. "Pipes. It's been using the plumbing. That's why Harry has been hearing it in the walls, ceiling or floor. It all makes sense."

"You know what Aragog said?" Harry said slowly. "About a girl that died in a bathroom fifty years ago? What if she never left?"

"Moaning Myrtle." Don suddenly said. They had forgotten he was there.

"You know Myrtle?" Erin asked.

"Uh, yeah, you could say that." Don said blushing a little.

"All students return to their House dormitories at once, all teachers and other adults to the second floor corridor." McGonagall's voice sounded through the halls.

"I have to go…" He said. "Are you three all right? I'll take you to your dorm if you want…"

"It's ok." Erin said. "Go on."

He left and the three of them looked at each other for a moment before following. They stopped at the corner listening. McGonagall was there. "As you can see the Heir has left another message. It is as Albus foretold, this is the end of Hogwarts." She sighed. "It has happened, a student has been taken into the Chamber itself."

"So sorry, dozed off, what did I miss?" Lockhart strode toward the teachers.

"Ah, just the man." Sprout sad. "A student has been taken by the monster."

"Yes, Gilderoy," Snape said. "Weren't you saying the other day that you knew where the entrance was?"

"Did I? I don't recall…"

"Well, it's settled." McGonagall said. "We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy."

"Quite so." He said. "I'll just be in my office, getting ready." He left.

"That gets him out of our hair." Flitwick squeaked.

"Who has the monster taken, Mother?" Don asked.

"Ginny Weasley."

A gap appeared among the teachers and the wall could be seen clearly. "Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever…" Ron was breathing heavily like he couldn't believe it. "Ginny…"

After the teacher's left the three of them decided (ok, Ron and Harry decided with Erin howling protests) that they would get Lockhart and go to the Chamber. "He may be useless, but he is going to try and get into the Chamber." Harry was arguing.

"We could just go to McGonagall!" Erin was saying. "And tell her what we know! And then she—"

"She would tell you to get to the Tower and leave everything to them." They jumped surprised. Don was walking behind them. "I know my mother." He rolled his eyes. "I'll help though."

"With or without Lockhart?" Erin asked hopefully.

"He is a teacher…I'm not." Don said, he didn't sound so sure though. "Where is the Chamber?"

"Moaning Myrtle's bathroom." Erin said.

"I'll meet you there." He turned and trotted off. Probably to divert suspicion and get some supplies.

They burst into Lockhart's office a few minutes later. "Professor, we need your help…" Lockhart whirled around shutting the lid of a trunk. They looked around, clothes, books, curlers…were everywhere. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes, very unavoidable, very sorry…"

"What about my sister?" Ron bellowed.

"Yes, very regrettable, no one regrets more than I…"

"Save it, you despicable, lying cretin." Erin said. "I don't want to be here trying to convince you, of all people, but these two are so set upon it. Now listen you are the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, probably because no one else wanted the job…" It was no secret Erin disliked Lockhart.

"Yes, well when I took the position, there was nothing in it like this…"

"What about all those things you did in your books?" Harry asked.

"Harry, are you that dense? He wrote them, that doesn't mean he did them!"

"Do use your head!" Lockhart said. "My books wouldn't have sold half as well if I didn't say that I did them!"

"You're a fraud—"

"I told you." Erin said.

"You've just been taking credit for what other wizards have done!"

"Is there anything you can do?" Ron asked.

"As matter of fact, yes." Lockhart said turning around, his back to them. "I am very gifted at memory charms, you see all those wizards and witches would have gone blabbing. And I'm uh…afraid I'm going to have to do the same to you…" He turned and found three wands on him.

"Don't even think about it." Harry said.

"Yeah," Ron sneered. "While it takes you the extra time to speak the spell Erin will just curse you and be done with it."

Lockhart looked at Erin. It was no secret he knew how gifted she was with a wand. Just like her mother… "Let's go." Erin said.


	19. Chapter 19

Page 2 of 2

Part 19

Donovan met them inside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and was having a chat with Myrtle. "Oh, hello, Harry." She said smiling. "What do you want?" Erin grinned a little when she noticed that Myrtle had a crush on Harry and so it seemed on Don.

"To ask you how you died."

"Oh! It was dreadful." Myrtle said with relish. "It happened right here in this very cubicle. I was hiding because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. I was crying and I heard someone say something, sort of like a made-up language. I realized it was a boy speaking so I opened the door to tell him to go away and I died."

"Just like that?" Ron asked.

"Who was it, Myrtle?" Harry asked at the same time.

"I don't know, I didn't see them. I just remember a pair of great big yellow eyes."

"Where?" Erin asked.

"Oh, over there by the sinks on the right side." She said vaguely and looked back at Don waiting to see if he was going to say something.

"I promised to help them." He said apologetically.

"Go on, then." Myrtle said.

Harry was looking at a sink while this exchange was going on. "I've got it." He said. "There's a snake etched onto this faucet."

"Harry, say something in Parseltongue." Ron said. "Go on."

Harry looked at the snake and imagined it was real and then something hissed out of his mouth. The sinks started to move. The top went up and the circle of sinks went outward and sunk down into the floor. The one in front of them sunk down also and a grate slid over it. A gaping hole appeared in the middle of the bathroom. "Very well done." Lockhart said. "Well, then I'll just…"

"You first." Harry said.

"What? There's no point." He said trying to get away.

"Oh, yes there is." He and Ron pushed him back toward the hole.

"To what will point though?" He asked.

"Better you than us." Ron said.

"Ah yes." He said looking down into the hole. "Do you suppose we ought to…?" Erin rolled her eyes and then in one swift movement she planted her foot on his backside and pushed. He fell in yelling. After a moment they heard his voice. "Really, quite disgusting down here."

"Let's go." Harry said.

"Oh, Harry…Don…" Myrtle said. "If you die down there you're welcome to share my toilet." She giggled.

"You've competition, Erin." Ron said.

Erin just shook her head and then jumped. She heard Harry, Ron and Donovan follow. It was actually quite fun sliding down the twisting pipes and then she landed…on rat bones. "Ick." Erin said standing up and getting out of the way.

Harry lost no time. "Let's go." He said and led the way into a larger pipe.

It was dark down there and Ron grasped Erin's hand. "Don't leave me alone down here."

"Oh, but Ron, Harry and I were planning on running off and getting married and leaving you all by your lonesome down here." Erin said sarcastically.

"Funny." They wandered through and then they noticed something on the ground. "Is that a snake?" Ron asked.

"No, it's a snake skin." Harry said examining it.

"That's got to be fifty feet long or more." Ron said and then Lockhart fainted. "Heart of a lion this one." Ron said kicking him.

Suddenly Lockhart was up and he had snatched Ron's wand. "The adventure ends here, boys." He said. "But don't you fret, the world will know our story, how I was too late to save the girl and how you tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body…"

"You expect them to believe that of an Auror?" Donovan asked him. "Or of these three? Dumbledore will skin you alive." He said threateningly. "And that's nothing compared to what my mother will do to you."

"Or my godfather." Erin said. "He'll rip you to shreds…oh and Hagrid, once he gets out of Azkaban they'll be no stopping him."

"Hagrid is behind this!" Lockhart shouted.

"Oh, yes." Erin said. "He was able to control the basilisk from Azkaban. Good one let us see how long that story will hold up."

"Enough…" He yelled and whirled the wand around his head. "Obliterate!"

The wand backfired and hit the ceiling. Rocks started fall all around them. Don pulled Ron out of the way shielding him from the rocks and Erin looked up. "HARRY!" She yelled. He turned to her as she pushed him out of the way and fell to the floor the rocks falling down around her.


	20. Chapter 20

Page 6 of 6

Part 20

Erin opened her eyes groaning. She looked around and saw that was actually in a little niche where two huge rocks had fallen and caught each other. She was very lucky, she could have been killed, but as it was she was just bruised and battered. She shifted some rock and found a hole where she could crawl out of.

The rocks had created a wall and she could see where Harry had gone and she followed. She found herself in a hall of sorts with snake statues on either side of a walkway; most of it was under water. She also saw a tall black haired boy, Ginny lying on the ground, and Harry holding his arm falling to the ground. "Harry!"

She rushed toward him. "Who are you?" The other boy asked.

Erin stopped and glared at him. "I am someone you do not want to mess with."

"Erin…it's him…its Voldemort…" Harry whispered, he looked to be losing consciousness.

Erin turned to him and she looked furious. "Voldemort…" She hissed advancing upon him with her wand out.

"Who are you?" The boy hissed at her.

"I am Erin Black." She whispered.

"Black…" Voldemort hissed. "You are…"

"The last, the very last of the Blacks and in me runs that blood, the blood of the Blacks and the Lyancomps. You killed my mother." She said and it seemed for a moment that a flame burned in her green eyes. "And you tried to kill me." Harry was all but out by now and he didn't hear them. Erin reached for her collar and pulled it back. There on her shoulder was an 'N' shaped scar. "You met your downfall by Harry and me." Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of red and a phoenix swooped down to Harry. Erin stepped forward more. "Did you hear me, Tom?" She knew now that Tom Riddle and Lord Voldemort were the same person. "I was there."

The boy was breathing heavily and glaring at her. "You are nothing." He hissed. "Nothing!"

"I am Erin Xenia Black and you are the one that took away my mother, you took away my father and you took Harry's parents, I could overlook my pain, but since you cause him pain and caused Ginny pain, that I cannot overlook…that I cannot condone." Erin's foot stepped on something and then she kicked it to Harry. It was the diary. "Harry…"

The boy was healed now and he looked at Fawkes gratefully before he picked up the Basilisk tooth next to him. He plunged it into the diary. Voldemort suddenly realized what was going on. "NO!" He yelled and lunged at Erin.

The girl pushed him back. "Never touch him or I will kill you." Light shone out of the boys face as Harry plunged the tooth in the diary. Voldemort wasn't through yet, but he had to get through Erin first to get to Harry, and that wasn't about to happen.

Harry closed the diary and plunged in the tooth once more. Erin cried out at the pain in her scar as she kept the older boy from getting past her. The light hit her and she was thrown back onto the floor. The light was blinding and the boy disappeared in that light.

"Erin? Erin!" Harry was kneeling next to her. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah." She said swallowing as Harry helped her to sit up. "I'm ok. Ginny?"

The girl sat up at that moment looking around. "Erin…Harry…I swear I didn't mean to. Riddle made me and Erin you're hurt…" She looked at the older girl afraid.

"It's ok." Erin said. "I'm all right, Ginny."

Fawkes landed near Erin and made a sound like a purr at her nuzzling her with his golden red head. Erin reached out and stroked his feathers. He hopped up on her and looked her straight in the eye, while he did that silvery tears erupted from his eyes and landed on the girl's lips. Erin licked her lips surprised and after a moment she felt herself healing from the inside out.

"Let's go." Harry said. "Thanks, Fawkes." The bird just chirruped happily and the three of them made their way back to Ron, Don and Lockhart.

It was a little while later that the six of them found themselves outside Dumbledore's office. "Sherbet Lemon." Erin said. The statue started to turn immediately and they stepped onto the stairs, Donovan last of all carrying Ginny in his arms.

At the top Erin knocked on the door and opened it. The result was sudden. Dumbledore stood up, McGonagall stood up, both of them surprised (well, as surprised as Dumbledore ever looked) Molly and Arthur were standing looking unbelieving and also ecstatic to see Ginny was all right. Fawkes swooped off of Erin's shoulder and onto Dumbledore's, a glint in Dumbledore's eye told Erin that he wanted to talk to her. Not surprising, but she didn't think it had to do with the night's events. She was glad to see him back, though.

"You save her!" Molly squeaked out and hugged the three of them and then Donovan, with Ginny still being held by him. "Oh, Ginny!" Molly wanted Ginny in her arms, but Ginny looked a bit adamant to stay with Donovan.

Harry walked forward quietly and laid the Sorting Hat, a ruby-encrusted sword and the diary on Dumbledore's desk. Erin still didn't know the entire story, but she figured she wouldn't have to wait long to hear it. "On the night the first message appeared I heard a voice…I didn't know where it came from, but I heard it and that's when Erin, Ron and Hermione found me and I went off to search for it. That's when we found Mrs. Norris and the words. Erin told us all about the Chamber of Secrets and how she knew it had been opened before. Everyone found out that I was a Parselmouth at the dueling club and I heard the voice two more times, once in the hospital wing before you brought in Colin and then again when Erin and I were headed back to the common room and we found Sir Nicholas and Justin." He took a breath. "Hermione finally figured out that it was a basilisk in the pipes, but she was petrified before she could tell us and Erin figured it out later, also. I know that you knew the three of us were in Hagrid's hut when they came to arrest him, Professor." The shocked a few people. "Ron and I were under my dad's invisibility cloak and Erin was just invisible. We had been arguing because Erin knew that Hagrid was innocent and Ron and I weren't so sure…because of a few things. And Hagrid got the message across for us to follow the spiders, so we did and we met Aragog, a huge spider—"

"Acromantula." Erin said.

"Yeah," Harry nodded. "An acromantula, he told us about Hagrid and that he had raised him…" Dumbledore had a twinkle in his eye at that. "And he told us about the girl that had been killed in a bathroom. We figured out it was Myrtle he was talking about and that the entrance to the Chamber was in the bathroom."

"Very well…" McGonagall said. "So you found out where the entrance was… breaking a hundred school rules along the way, I might add—"

"Professor," Erin said. "Donovan was with us most of the way, so technically we were in the presence of an adult…"

"Erin, don't drag me into this." Donovan said sheepishly.

McGonagall ignored them. "But how did you end up here alive?"

"We got into the Chamber and there was a…accident that cause rocks to tumble down. Erin was caught under it when she pushed me out of the way. I went on to find Ginny since I was the only one on that side of the rocks. Donovan and Ron were on the other side trying to get to Erin. I went on and fought the basilisk who was being controlled by Lord Voldemort with the help of Fawkes' getting there with the Sorting Hat, the sword came out of it and I killed the snake."

Dumbledore looked at them. "How did Lord Voldemort manage to get here and enchant Ginny when my sources tell me he is in Albania?" So the old boy had known the entire time. Harry glanced at Erin and she shrugged. Dumbledore knew everything.

"What?" Molly said. "Ginny's been enchanted?"

"It was the diary." Harry said. "Riddle wrote in it when he was 16…"

"Brilliant." Dumbledore said taking the diary. "Of course he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen…excuse me, he was the most brilliant. I am afraid our dear Miss Lyancomp and Miss Granger are definitely as brilliant as he is."

Erin blushed. "I'm sure that's not true." She whispered.

Dumbledore smiled, he knew that Erin didn't like praise or to be noticed really for what she did. "Few people know that Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago. He disappeared after leaving the school, traveled far and wide…and delved into the Dark Arts, transforming himself so no one ever guessed he was the handsome boy that was Head Boy here."

"But Ginny…" Molly said. "What's that got to do with Ginny?"

"I've been writing in his diary all year!" She sobbed into Donovan. He just acted like a big brother and soothed her and told it wasn't her fault. "He's b-been writing back all year!"

"Ginny!" Arthur was flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you that if something thinks for itself and you can't see where something keeps its brains not to trust it? Something like that is clearly full of dark magic!"

"I didn't know!" She sobbed. "I found it in one of my books…"

"Miss Weasley should go to the hospital wing." Dumbledore said before anything else could be said. "Donovan, if you please…"

"Of course." He nodded.

Molly and Arthur followed him and McGonagall also leaving the others. He turned to the three sitting in front of him. "In the past year you three have broken so many school rules, I am not sure I have ever seen the likes of it. And there is enough evidence for you all to be expelled!" They looked very guilty. "So I think it is fitting that the three you, once again, receive Special Awards for Service to the School and 200 points apiece for Gryffindor." They all looked at each other. "But one of you seems especially quiet, why so modest, Gilderoy?"

The three of them had forgotten abou him standing there. He was currently bouncing on the balls of his feet smiling very politely. When Dumbledore looked at him he looked behind him to see whom the man was talking to. "He means you." Ron said.

"Oh, does he?" Lockhart asked.

"Uh, Professor, remember when I told you that there was a bit of an accident involving rocks?" Harry asked and Dumbledore nodded. "Well, he cause it, he tried to do this memory charm on us and my wand backfired creating the rocks to fall and he lost his memory."

"Dear me." Dumbledore said. "Ron, would you mind talking him to the infirmary also? And send an owl to Azkaban, we need our gamekeeper back."

Ron got up at once grabbing Lockhart's arm. When they left Harry and Erin looked back at Dumbledore. Dumbledore motioned for them to get up and follow him down into his little cozy study. They sat down and he sat in an armchair across from them by the fire. "Sir, there is something you wanted to discuss with us, isn't there." Harry said.

"First of all I would like to thank you." Dumbledore said. "You must have shown me true loyalty down in the Chamber, only that could have called Fawkes to you… please, tell me what happened."

Harry started. "When I got into the Chamber I found Ginny unconscious and then Riddle showed up telling me that she wouldn't wake. He was especially interested in me and wanted to know how I survived being attacked by Voldemort. When he received all the information I could give him we argued and he said he was the greatest sorcerer in the world. I said that you were and he said that you had been driven from the castle by the mere memory of him. I said you'd never be gone, not as long as those here were loyal to you. And then Fawkes showed up. He dropped the Sorting Hat and then Riddle called the Basilisk out. I ran to try and find something to fight him with…I think, I am not really sure, but Fawkes scratched out the snake's eyes so it couldn't kill me…at least not like that. I outwitted the snake and then went back to Ginny. I was more scared of the snake than of Riddle. It's a little hard to remember, Sir…"

"It's all right, Harry, just tell me what you remember."

"I remember that the snake appeared again and so did the sword from the Sorting Hat. With the sword I was able to kill the snake, but by doing so one of its fangs went into my arm…I was dying when I got back to Ginny. Erin appeared and confronted Riddle. I don't remember what she said, but Fawkes came to me and healed me. Then Erin kicked the diary over to me and I knew I had to use the fang on it and it destroyed Riddle. Erin was fighting with him while I did that. I think she was hurt…but Fawkes made her drink some of his tears."

Dumbledore's eyes shot to the girl, but they were as twinkling as always. "You showed me true loyalty down there, nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you."

"Sir, Riddle said something strange…he said that the two of us had certain likenesses about each other…" Harry said.

"Did he?" He asked. "And what do you think?"

"I don't think I'm like him!" Harry said indignantly.

"Harry…" Erin said quietly. Harry looked at her settling down. "It's true." She said sighing.

"Yes, Harry, it is true to some extent."

"But I'm in Gryffindor! The Sorting Hat point me in Gryffindor…" He paused. "Professor, the Hat tried to put me in Slytherin though."

"Me too." Erin whispered.

"It said I would do well in Slytherin and for a while they thought I was…and Erin also, that one of us was Slytherin's Heir. I can speak Parseltongue and Erin…well…" He looked at her, why did they think it was her?

"You can speak Parseltongue, Harry, why? Because Lord Voldemort, who _is_ the last remaining descendant of Salazar Slytherin…" He gave Erin a poignant look. She blinked and was a little confused at what he was trying to tell her. "Can speak Parseltongue. Unless I am much mistaken he transferred some of his power to you the night he gave you that scar."

"He gave me some of his powers?" Harry asked.

"Unintentionally, I am sure." Dumbledore said.

"So, I should be in Slytherin."

"It's true, Harry." Dumbledore nodded. "You have many qualities that Slytherin himself prized in his students. Parseltongue, a rare gift, resourcefulness, determination, a certain disregard for the rules…and in Erin, Legilimens and as pure of blood as one could have, at least in his eyes. Oh yes, you and Erin would have been counted as jewels among his students. But the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor, why?"

"Because we asked it to." Erin said.

"Exactly, which make you very different from Riddle. It is our choices that show what we truly are. Far more than our abilities." Dumbledore smiled even broader. "If you want proof, Harry, that you are truly a Gryffindor then just take a look at that sword."

Harry stood up and went to Dumbledore's desk. "Godric Gryffindor." He read from the blade, just below the hilt.

"Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat." Dumbledore said just as the door to his office burst open.


	21. Chapter 21

Page 3 of 3

Part 21

Lucius Malfoy stood there looking furious. A little house elf was crouching behind him. "Dobby?" Harry asked. Erin and Dumbledore had come out of his study behind the desk by now. Erin was looking at the poor little thing. "So this is the family you serve…the Malfoy's."

"I'll deal with you, later." Lucius hissed at the elf. He cowered looking scared. "So you decided to return."

"Yes, it seems that they heard that Ginny Weasley had been killed by the creature, they saw it fit to reinstate me and curiously, Lucius, a few of them were under the impression that you would curse their families if they did not agree with you in the first place."

"How dare you!" Lucius said.

"Pardon me?" Dumbledore asked.

"My concern has always been for this school and its students." He looked at Harry contemptuously. "So you have stopped the attacks."

"We have."

"Well?" Lucius asked. "Who was it?"

"The same person it was last time. Voldemort."

"Oh." Lucius said looking a little less cocky.

"Only this time he chose to work by the means of this diary. Let us hope no more of Lord Voldemort's old school things fall into innocent hands."

Dobby looked at Harry and nodded to the diary and then to Lucius. "I see, well let us hope that Mr. Potter is always there to save the day."

"Don't worry, I will be." Harry said.

"I will make sure of that." It was probably for the first time that Lucius realized that Erin was there. He swallowed a little. "I will always be there, Malfoy, and no one is going to stop me."

Lucius swept from the office and kicked Dobby forward. Erin's heart went out of the poor house-elf. "Come, Dobby, we're leaving."

Harry looked at the diary. "Sir, may I have that."

Dumbledore nodded. Harry hurried after them. "Erin…"

Erin was about to go after Harry but stopped when Dumbledore said her name. "Yes, sir?"

"I wish to speak to you." He said.

Erin nodded and sat down again. "Yes, Professor?"

He sat down at his desk. "Erin, I want to hear your version of the events."

She sighed but spoke. "I pushed Harry out of the way of the rocks and when I came to I managed to get out and I found Riddle, Harry and Ginny in the Chamber. Riddle was over Harry, who was on the floor, dying from the wound the Basilisk inflicted and Ginny was unconscious dying from the energy Riddle was taking from her. I confronted Riddle and told him who I was…who I really was and the truth behind his downfall and then I kicked the diary over to Harry. I fought with Riddle keeping him away. When it was over I was injured…inside…my soul felt like it was ripped and bruised…I don't know how else to describe it…and then Fawkes healed me."

Dumbledore nodded. "Erin, there is more that I want to tell you that I could not tell Harry…not yet, someday you will tell him though. Erin, do you know why Voldemort wanted you dead?"

Erin shook her head. "I don't, sir."

"He didn't."

Erin looked at him surprised. "But then…why…"

"He wanted you, yes, but not dead. You're mother knew this and saved you from him. It was because of a prophecy made very long ago…my Rowena Ravenclaw. "_Blood of the nobles, blood of the Lions, blood of the Dark Oaths…one day shall mix, one day be made pure in a daughter of noble blood…and be ware for the blood of the Snake…if a child be born of these three bloods…he will never have an equal… One day a Dark Lord be born of Snake and he will have but one equal…the blood of Half, the pure be that of the ancient house of the Broom…the daughter of noble blood will be born to love him and no other…if the Snake interferes…the world be damned…_"

Erin listened. "What does it mean, sir?"

Dumbledore sighed. "At that time there were three wizard families that were of the very best. Slytherin, Blace and Lyan. Blace became Black and Lyan Lyancomp. It was forbidden for Slytherin to ever mix with these two families…you see very few knew the prophecy when you were born. I remembered and I knew that he would try to take you, because he found out about the prophecy during that same time. I won't tell you how, but he did. And he realized that the prophecy spoke of you. A daughter of noble bloods the blood of the Lions and the Dark Oaths…the Lyancomps and Blacks. If a child is born of the three bloods then that child, a son, will never have an equal. A Dark Lord was born of Slytherin, the Snake, and that was Voldemort…he would only have one equal and that would be a Half-blood, descended from the house of the Broom, or the Potters…it could have also meant another descended from that house…but now is not the time. The daughter of noble blood would be born to love that Half-blood and if Voldemort interfered the world would be destroyed."

Erin just looked at him. "He wanted me…so he could have a child with me?" Erin asked. She couldn't believe it. "He wanted to take me from my parents and what…?"

"He intended to raise you until you were a woman and then you bear his child." Dumbledore said.

"But I was meant to love Harry…" She had never really said that aloud before.

"You were and you do."

"I do." Erin said. "I've always loved him and I always will…"

"And one other thing, Erin, it seems that Fawkes has taken a liking to you…" Erin looked up at the man wonderingly. She knew that she liked the Phoenix and he liked her…but was that so unusual? "I should say more than likes, Erin…it seems Fawkes has chosen you to be his next 'owner'."

Erin blinked. "What do you mean?"

Dumbledore stroked the bird's head and neck. "Fawkes has chosen you. Phoenix's choose their owners, not the other way around. And Fawkes has chosen you. I knew it when Harry said you drank Fawkes' tears and when he came in sitting on your shoulder. I believe he has sensed that I do not have that many years left." Erin opened her mouth. "No, I have to face reality just as everyone. I am old, Erin, and I know that I will not live that many more years. When I am gone Fawkes will pass to you and be your pet."

Erin nodded. "I don't have a choice in this."

"No, you do not, but is it that bad of a predicament?" Dumbledore asked his eyes twinkling.

"No." Erin said smiling. "I would be honored to have Fawkes."


	22. Chapter 22

Page 1 of 1

Part 22

Erin sat down next to Harry in the Great Hall for the feast that Dumbledore had put together. Everyone was there and everyone was happy Dumbledore was back and that the people were unpetrified. "Harry!" Neville exclaimed. "It's Hermione!"

The three of them looked up suddenly and their smiled said it all. All three of them stood up. Hermione ran to them from the doors and threw her arms around Erin. "You did it! I knew you would! You followed the clues!"

"Yes, I was just a little slower on the uptake…"

"From what Donovan told me I'm not surprised." She laughed and then hugged Harry. She let go and reached for Ron, but both of them just suddenly looked at each other.

"Uh…uh…uh…" Ron seemed to have lost the ability to speak. "Well, welcome back, Hermione." Ron said shaking her hand.

Harry and Erin looked at each other smiling. They both knew what was going on. "It's good to be back." Hermione said.

Dumbledore stood and the four of them sat back down. "Welcome back to all of those who have been successfully administered the Mandrake Draught thanks to Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey." There was clapping and yelling. "And as a school treat all exams have been cancelled." Only Hermione seemed dismayed at this announcement. "And now—"

The doors to the Great Hall opened and the four of them were smiling again. "Sorry, I'm late." Hagrid said striding down the aisle between the tables. "The owl with my release papers got all lost and confused. Some ruddy bird called Errol." Harry, Hermione and Erin looked at Ron who went pink. Hagrid stopped in front of the four of them. "I just want to thank you, Harry and Ron and Hermione, of course. If it weren't for you I would still be you know where, so I just want to say thanks." He turned to Erin who was looking a little hurt. "And I especially wanted to thank you." He said tears forming in his eyes. "You never once believed I was capable of any of it and you knew me so well that you knew I could never let a child be hurt. Thank you." Erin stood up and threw her arms around him. And then Harry, Ron and Hermione also did the same thing.

"There's no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid." Harry said.

"Welcome home." Erin said.


End file.
